Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee James Nelson, who retired in June 2016, saved $188,663 toward a pension over 37 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Nelson would collect as much as $4.81 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Nelson received $101,051 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 2 years of retirement, Nelson will have already received $205,134 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.