Chicago City Wire

Former elementary teacher Susie Buchanan, who retired in February 2016, saved $18,910 toward a pension over 6 years working for public schools, Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Buchanan would collect as much as $263,549, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes Buchanan received $5,539 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 4 years of retirement, Buchanan will have already received $23,172 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.