Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Sara Michels, who retired in June 2018, saved $141,044 toward a pension over 35 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Michels would collect as much as $3.87 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Michels received $81,319 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 2 years of retirement, Michels will have already received $165,078 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.