Washington Post – Q1 Cover

This illustration was commissioned by the Washington Post for the cover of their Business section. The theme for the quarterly investment outlook was based around the uncertainty of American retirees and their pensions and issues with the tax code 401(k). The reporter writes: It's been over three decades since Congress passed IRS code 401(k) allowing employees to enjoy tax benefits on their retirement savings. Very little went as planned. 401(k) plans were never supposed to be the primary way Americans save for retirement and the 401(k) deduction has become a huge piece of government spending. Revenue loss from IRA and 401(k) contributions are set to exceed $1 trillion over the next 10 years. There's now talk of reducing the 401(k) deduction as part of tax reform -- a move that could discourage saving at a time when the first wave of baby boomers is already testing the current system's limits. What's the future of the 401(k)? Can it be fixed? And what happens to baby boomers in the meantime? As per the previous cover the brief required that my illustration use the headline serif BigFiggins. My response sees a happy retiree enjoying the good life fishing from the top of the semi submerged type structure. Little does he know that the murky waters are hostile and predators lurk close to the surface. Click here to see my Washington Post cover illustration for the previous financial quarter.