It's traditional at the turn of the year to look back at the
12 months just gone and do some pondering. Was it a good year? Will
the new one be any better? And what about those New Year
resolutions – how long will they last this time?
For the last couple of years in the January edition of The
Gibraltar Magazine, I have set out some thoughts on the
previous year from a financial perspective – and my own
view as to prospects for the next. I am a natural optimist
(probably an essential requirement as I work in business
development) so of course I am always of the view that the coming
year just has to be better than the last. But how true is this
likely to be for 2011?
Consider this summary: major banks rescued; currencies under
pressure; interest rates at rock bottom but bank lending still
difficult; and property prices plummeting in certain countries.
Sound familiar? I wrote a piece along these lines a year ago when
looking back at 2009. Put another way, at first
