Illinois Valley Times

Former state school employee Linda Brooks, who retired in June 2018, saved $132,558 toward a pension over 45 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Brooks would collect as much as $3.59 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Illinois Valley Times.

The projection assumes Brooks received $75,451 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 2 years of retirement, Brooks will have already received $153,166 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.