Chicago City Wire

Former paramedic John Harding, who retired in November 2018, saved $286,620 toward a pension over 39 years working for fire departments, Firemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Harding would collect as much as $5.16 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes Harding received $108,427 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Harding will have already received $335,137 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the state pension fund.