Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Margaret Markese, who retired in July 2016, saved $41,434 toward a pension over 8 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Markese would collect as much as $614,619, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Markese received $12,918 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 4 years of retirement, Markese will have already received $54,045 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.