As 2009 comes to an end, it's time for us to look back on our predictions for 2009 and see how well we did.  Overall, 2009 turned out to be the year of health care, economic downturn, the War in Afghanistan, and Michael Jackson.  We did predict some of that, but let's take a closer look and see exactly where our inexpert predictions landed.

Here is a recap of our "predictions" article:

It's January 1, 2009.  This seems like a good time to make some predictions about the year to come.  We don't have a crystal ball, nora window into the future.  We don't even have a set of Tarot cards. These are just random predictions that may nor may not happen. 

1. Caroline Kennedy will be edged out by Andrew Cuomo as Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) replacement to the US Senate.

TRUE/FALSE.  We get half a point on this one.  Caroline Kennedy was edged out, but not by Andrew Cuomo.  Instead, by Kristen Gillibrand, a Congresswoman from New York.

2.  The stock market will continue a gradual decline toward 7,000 before it bottoms out and begins to regain lost ground.

TRUE.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average bottomed out at approximately 6,500 on March 9 before gradually gaining ground to close the year at around 10,500.

3.  The $1 Trillion in bail outsto the insurance, automobile, and banking industries will only be thebeginning of the extent to which the federal government is required toprovide relief to failing American businesses.

TRUE.  A second stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), was passed in February, thus encumbering the federal government by another $787 Billion. 

4.  Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen will regret firing Head Coach Mike Shanahanwhen Shanahan is picked up by another NFL team, beats the Broncos, andmakes it to the playoffs in his first year with his new team.

FALSE.  As of today, Mike Shanahan has yet to be hired be another football team.

5.  LA Lakers Coach Phil Jackson will win his 1,050th game as an NBA Coach.

TRUE.  As of this writing, Phil Jackson has won 1,063 games as an NBA Coach. Congrats, Phil!

6.  The new Administration will find it impossible to keep up with its promise to bring home all non-combat troops from Irag within its first sixteen months.

TRUE.  In February, President Obama announced his plans to withdraw "most U.S. troops" from Iraq by the end of August 2010.  To comply with the campaign promise, all troops (not most) would have to be withdrawn by May 2010.

7. Congress will have a steadily improving approval rating as it begins towork on issues like global warming, health care, immigration, andsocial security.

TRUE.  Congress started the year with a 21.7% approval rating and saw it improve slightly to 27.4% to close out the year.  Turns out health care was a huge dissatisfier. Congressional approval ratings took a huge hit during the second half of the year, however, as most American disagreed with the actions taken by Congress relating to health care reform.

8.  Card Check legislation will be narrowly defeated in the US Senate after passing easily in the House.

FALSE.  Neither the House nor the Senate passed the EFCA legislation in 2009.

9.  An entire community of financial affiliates will go down with Bernard Madoff and his ponzi scheming friends.

TRUE.  Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 felonies in March.  Since then, at least a dozen individuals and entities have been linked to the massive investment scam.

10. The divorce rate will go down for the first time in years as morefamilies stay together, for better or worse, out of necessity, due tofinancial restraints.

TRUE.  The divorce rate in the US is said to be at its lowest level in 37 years.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.  Certainly not a home run, but not bad for amateurs.

Stay tuned for predictions for 2010.

Happy New Year!