Good Bye 2008

A Historical Article I am keeping around to remember the year 2008, when the stock market went into the crapper (thanks to the debt crisis).

This has been one of the most interesting years in my life and in the financial world, and I will not lament its end, but it is certainly not the worst year of my life (but it isn’t one of the top 10 either). 

This year has seen:

• My retirement savings drop by 20% in value thanks to the stock market implosion, caused by the shenanigans and tom foolery over low rate mortgages in the states, and the financial apocalypse.
• The alleged career at Nortel finished at 20 years (I am still looking for gainful employment), but maybe that is a good thing at the end of it all. With this I have taken complete control of my retirement savings, as well.
• My oldest go off to University and now I am learning how the business of higher education works (and it’s ins and outs). 
• An election that seems to have resolved nothing and we are more likely than not off to the polls again in 2009, which always makes for fun writing.
• The birth of the TFSA, but I am not sure how I am going to use it yet.
• Gas prices going up and down have caused havoc with any kind of budgeting attempts by my family, but the cheaper prices now, has managed to balance mid-year large outlays for fuel.
• Interest rates remain at historic lows and inflation has calmed down with the drop of fuel prices as well, where will this lead? I have no idea, but I hope interest rates stay down for a while longer, then they can sky rocket (remember interest rates low good for borrowers, bad for bond holders).
• I await a “bail out” by the government for me, but I guess for the common man, the “bail out” is called buying lottery tickets. Maybe I should change my name to Ford?
• I have written well over 250 posts this year, which is the most active writing year I have ever had.

Thank you kind reader for your patronage this year and hope you keep coming back to see my view of the Personal Finance world in the coming year.

Bye Bye 2008

All Those Happy New Years

Yes, for many years I have wished you a Happy New Year

• Happy New Year 2024! What will the year 2024 bring? Let’s hope it is a Happy New Year, but there is potential for a great deal of upheaval in the coming year. #NewYear #Happy2024
• Happy New Year 2022 and #MoneyTalk recapped a lot of 2021 and hoped that 2022 was going to bring some hope.
• A happy new year for 2021 ? Well it started pretty grotty, but it might get better.
• I must have had an inkling about 2020, as I didn’t wish you a Happy New Year to start things. Hopefully with this post I have helped make the year better?
• In 2019 I was too practical with Tangible Financial New Years Resolutions but still worthwhile thinking about it, eh?
• For Happy New Year 2018 I had a great photo of being stuck on the 401 during a snowstorm, and links to previous New Year Messages.
• 2017 I pointed out that you start paying CPP and EI again, so your net pay is going to be lower.
• 2016 Happy New Year, just didn’t happen, not sure why, must have been having a grinchy holiday?
• 2015 Happy New Year and I included a really bad joke about it being the year of the RAM in the Chinese Calendar.
• 2014 Happy New Year again I pointed out that CPP and EI rates were increasing as well, I really am a kill joy.
• 2013 was a Happy New Year, a celebratory Sunday was the photo to start the year.
• 2012 I used to post best of Twitter posts, and it seems to have fallen on a Sunday as well.
• Merry New Year! It All Starts again  was how 2011 started, and I included a bunch of resolutions in that article.
• 2010 New Year began with me in a new job, which was very nice, given I had been unemployed for a while.
• 2009 started a little bleak, in that I was unemployed, and was looking for a job, during a major economic crisis.
• Belated Happy and Prosperous New Year was how 2008 started, the economy was booming, employment was high, but there were hints of the systemic failure that was coming soon.
• Good Bye 2008, outlined the eventful year that it was for me. Things got better, but a lot didn’t go right that year.
• A New Year Brings Tax Breaks? The tax breaks appeared in 2007 but later disappeared, unfortunately.
• Happy 2007 a quieter year, we hoped.
• 2006 I was still figuring out what this whole thing would be, but I showed signs of a ranting good time.

Yes, I really did start in 2005.