Comparing the 2008 Financial Crisis to Recent Interest Rate Hikes in Ireland

In this blog, we look at insightful parallels between the infamous 2008 financial crisis and the recent interest rate hikes in Ireland. While each event has its unique characteristics, examining their similarities can provide valuable lessons for navigating the current financial landscape. We’ll explore the key resemblances between these two periods, highlighting real-life examples to deepen our understanding. So, let’s dive in and uncover the lessons history has to offer.

 

The Domino Effect: Fragile Housing Markets

Both the 2008 financial crisis and recent interest rate hikes have exposed the vulnerability of housing markets. In 2008, a burst in the housing bubble triggered a wave of foreclosures and plummeting property values. Similarly, interest rate hikes can impact affordability, leading to a potential slowdown in demand and a correction in housing prices. These dynamics remind us of the importance of balanced and sustainable growth in the housing sector.

Financial Strain: Increasing Debt Burden

During the 2008 crisis, many homeowners found themselves burdened with high levels of debt. Adjustable-rate mortgages with low …

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7 Tips for Entrepreneurs in Ireland

Being an entrepreneur can be both exciting and challenging. Here are 7 tips to help you navigate the ups and downs of building a successful business.

1. Learn to Embrace Risk

Starting your own business is a risk in itself, but don’t be afraid to take on more risk along the way. If you are too cautious and risk-averse, you may end up missing out on great opportunities for growth. Jeff Bezos has said that learning to take risks has helped him to realize that he wouldn’t regret failure, but he would regret not trying.

2. Have self Confidence

A crucial element of being a successful entrepreneur is leadership. And the most important trait required to be an effective leader is self-confidence. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, famously said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

3. Learn From Your Mistakes

Mistakes are a part of life, and nobody’s perfect, especially in business. However, many entrepreneurs tend to either ignore their mistakes, or dwell on them for too long. A more productive approach is to …

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Ireland’s exit from lockdown

The National Public Health Emergency Team is expected to come forward later this week with their recommendations to the government of Ireland on developing a reopening strategy. Though a speedy return to normalcy seems unlikely, this might be an important first step in getting the country back on track.

The pandemic and lockdowns combined have had devastating effects on the Irish economy, resulting in substantial job losses and a spike in unemployment. Pauses to required monthly repayments on loans and mortgages were instated by banks to help borrowers. The country was sent into a recession, which was officially announced in September. Recovery would be long and arduous no matter what, but the inefficiencies of the government’s policies aimed at preventing the spread are likely exacerbating the issue.

For one, Ireland’s lockdowns have been described as some of the strictest in the world, perhaps even a bit excessive. Until 12 April, a Level-5 lockdown had been in effect for more than a hundred days. This entailed restricting citizens’ movements to just five kilometers from their homes, in-person schooling, and more. For …

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The long term impact of the pandemic

The pandemic and the associated lockdowns have obviously had immediate repercussions on Ireland’s economy and daily life for its citizens. Staggering job loss, business closures, and lagging debt payments are just a few of hardships being faced. However, there is another, perhaps less immediately apparent economic consequence of the pandemic: that is, what the disruptions to students’ educations will mean for Ireland and the world in the near future.

Schools in Ireland have been closed multiple times and the country has been repeatedly forced into lockdowns to fight the spread of the virus. On March 12th of last year, schools were forced to shut down until the 29th, which was later extended to the start of the next academic year in September. During that stretch of time, students were not allowed to attend in-person classes. Even when schools did eventually reopen, periodic outbreaks in certain schools and the additional restrictions put on students ensured that the school year would not go smoothly. The total losses in education are difficult to gauge; some countries have reported that time spent on school-related …

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Business lesson from a dead mans wristwatch.

My grandfather died in May 1982, he was born in the first decade of the 1900’s and for most of his life he was involved in racing. Initially he raced air planes around pylons, kind of like what red-bull do today with the exception that people died all the time doing it in the 1930’s, they raced around wooden pylons and would cut the wings of their planes short, in the frequent crashes there were not frequent survivors (although he did crash twice in his life and lived to tell the tale).

He also did stunt work which was called ‘barnstorming’ and was amongst the earliest of aviators to use a backpack parachute (up to that point parachutes were on a line and opened once you jumped out). That was a mixed bag for him, one time his chute didn’t open and he was trying to cut it loose on the way down, he hit the ground so hard that his leg broke at the hip, there wasn’t any doctor so …

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