Money: top in 2008

How to start your own internet business

As the depth of the credit crunch slowly became clear during 2008, the stories you read increasingly became ones of failing banks and falling house prices.

The top story, indeed, The great credit card scandal was a tale of credit card companies facing an investigation by competition watchdogs after defying government warnings to improve their lending practices. And it was the top money story of the year, despite only being written in December.

Earlier in the year, you were perhaps looking for reassurance in Revealed: the truth behind the housing market scare stories (but probably found none - and even less in House prices - the market collapses), and were sinking deeper into the gloom with such headlines as Now banks raise credit card costs.

But you were showing a practical bent too, looking for ways to get through the recession - whether its by starting a second career, perhaps with How to start your own internet business or Ten ways to earn a second income or, for the currecny speculators amongst you - Euro exchange can be an unfair exchange, so look for good deals.

More defensively, you were looking (as early as June, oh prescient reader) at Savings: The best places to keep your money safe - and beat inflation and our guide to the best finance deals - Finance Offers, all the while trying to work out if Alastair Darling's rather botched tax changes would make you any better off - The Big Question: Who wins - and who loses - with the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax?

Next year, of course, it'll be How to spend your tax windfall…

The top 10 money stories of 2008

1. The great credit card scandal
2. Revealed: the truth behind the housing market scare stories
3. How to start your own internet business
4. Now banks raise credit card costs
5. House prices - the market collapses
6. The Big Question: Who wins - and who loses - with the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax?
7. Euro exchange can be an unfair exchange, so look for good deals
8. Savings: The best places to keep your money safe - and beat inflation
9. Ten ways to earn a second income
10. Finance Offers