Chicago City Wire

Former paramedic Lorraine McCauley, who retired in November 2016, saved $153,127 toward a pension over 28 years working for fire departments, Firemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, McCauley would collect as much as $3.52 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes McCauley received $74,086 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, McCauley will have already received $228,993 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the state pension fund.