2008's Best of FIRE Finance

[This post is written and copyrighted by FIRE Finance (http://firefinance.blogspot.com).]

It is time to cheerfully bid adieu to 2008 and welcome 2009 with renewed hopes and enthusiasm. 2008 taught us great lessons with respect to the market and the fragile nature of our investments. We've learnt to accept things as they presented themselves and remained calm even when 35% of our portfolio got wiped out in one of the worst dives of the stock market. Things could have been worse. The best part amidst all this events is the fact that our loved ones are all right. For us, love and peace of mind are the greatest wealth that we can ever have.

Now it's time to reevaluate our strategies, risk taking capacities and garner a fresh perspective on where and how to invest. 2008 was a wild roller coaster ride but we found solace in sharing it with our readers as well as fellow pf bloggers and learning from their experiences plus feedback. In that spirit of sharing, here are our best posts from 2008:

Series

Sneaky Credit Card Tricks - Ten sneaky tricks which all card users should know to be a winner in the credit card game.

Rankings

Top 100 Personal Finance Blogs - Ranked By Traffic - We implemented several new features for our rankings and the results have been well appreciated. This free value based service for the personal finance community is something we take pride in :).

Budget & Career

» In Search Of A Savory Salary

» 2008's Hot Career Trends in US - Some Contemplations

» 2008's Financial Goals - Budgeting & Conscious Savings

» $1000s in Savings and our 2007 Financial Performance

Banking, Credit & Debt

» Torn Dollar Bills Reimbursement

» FDIC Deposit Insurance Coverage Limits Increased

» Bank Failure - Is your deposit Fully Insured?

» Check Scam - Don't Be A Victim

» Best Gas Credit Cards

» Four Quick Ways to Build A Strong Credit Rating

» Risks Of Cash Advances And Payday Loans

» 5 Reasons For Getting A Business Card

» Federal Agencies Crackdown on Unfair Credit Card Practices

» UAL Visa Story

» Three Quick Steps To Get Out of Debt

» Knock Out Your Financial Problems Like Rocky

Early Retirement

» Retirement - All Is Well If Our HEART Is Well

» Retirement - The Magic Withdrawal Triangle

» Secure Retirement - At What Rate Should You Save For It?

» Early Retirement Case Study - My Dollar Plan Retires At 29

» Want To Be A Millionaire? Follow the YAWN Philosophy

» Etrade's Quickplan - Personalized & Easy Retirement Planning

» Three Good Habits of Successful Retirees

» Top Resources For Early Retirement Planning

Frugal Tips

» Electronic Gadgets - From Junk to Joy

» Frugal Creative Gift Ideas for Holiday Cards

» Rentometer Paves The Way For Smart Moves

» FireSafe Your Personal Finance Documents

» Prevent Auto Theft & Home Burglary with Affordable Anti Theft Devices

» 12 Tips To Lower Your Heating Bill

» Save Your Wallet With These Penny Hacks

» Back To School - Super Savers Guide

» Tipping Guidelines

» Airline Excess Baggage - Tune in to new fees

» Top 5 Freebie Websites

» Top 7 Energy Saving Tips for this Summer

» Top 10 Dollar Store Buys

» Top 5 Ways To Trim Our Grocery Bills

Investing

» Investing - Which Stock Market Indexes to Choose?

» How To Protect Our Finances From A Market Crisis?

» Sep 11, 2001 (9 / 11) - Hindsight And Investment Gains

» Investment Risks at a Glance

» Key Points to Remember While Making a Will

» Mutual Fund SAI - Should I Ask For It?

» Mutual Funds - The Economic Cycle of Sectors

» TIPS for Inflation and Deflation

» How to Turn $5000 into $22 million? Lessons From One Successful Individual Investor

» Is Your City Recession-Proof? These 10 Are

» Vanguard's Managed Payout Mutual Funds - A Primer

» Simple Strategies to Inflation Proof a Portfolio

» Renting Versus Owning Costs

Taxes

» Short on Tax Money - File an Extension or Pay in installments

» Double Your Tax Deduction Every Time You Fund Your IRA

» File 2007's taxes to get your Economic Stimulus Rebate Check

» How to e-File Multiple State Returns with TaxAct Online?

» FREE Turbo Tax Filing for Federal Returns

FIRE Finance has got a fresh new look this year. It was well received by our audience. Thanks for all the compliments. Also, our giveaways were very popular. We are planning several attractive ones for 2009. So stay tuned.

We truly enjoyed blogging at FIRE Finance this year amidst several personal challenges. Your feedback and support keeps us going. Please let us know how we can improve further and what topics you would like us to cover next year. We are looking forward towards a fabulous year of blogging in 2009. Three Cheers for everybody!

Image Source(s): iStockPhoto