Chambana Sun

Former state university employee Karen Lowe, who retired in April 2018, saved $15,124 toward a pension over 5 years working for state universities, State Universities Retirement System of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Lowe would collect as much as $819,248, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chambana Sun.

The projection assumes Lowe received $17,220 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 1 years of retirement, Lowe will have already received $17,220 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the state pension fund.