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Economy and Politics

Economy

How 2013 shaped up

A lace curtain shrouds the body of an American soldier awaiting burial in the Bastogne cemetery. "This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war," Winston Churchill said in the House of Commons following the Battle of the Bulge, "and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory."

Russ Engel—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

So how did last year's predictions work out?

Here's what Money magazine's December 2012 issue said would happen -- and how the year turned out.

STOCKS

The outlook. Since the Fed wasn't expected to raise rates, equities were predicted to climb -- by a modest 8%.

What happened. The Fed didn't raise rates, and stocks kept rallying. Equities, though, soared much more than expected -- 25%.

BONDS

The outlook. Long-term rates were expected to rise, so investors were warned to wean their exposure to government debt, especially Treasuries.

What happened. Market interest rates did rise, and funds that invest in long-term U.S. Treasury bonds lost more than 10% through early November.

HOUSING

The outlook. Real estate looked as if it was finally stabilizing. Since buyers were ready to come off the sidelines, prices were expected to rise 1%.

What happened. The housing market did stabilize. But as demand rose, sellers were slow to list their homes. Tight supply sent prices soaring 12%.

CAREERS

The outlook. Your prospects for finding new work and getting raises were set to improve slightly. Overall, the economy was expected to create a modest 173,000 new jobs a month.

What happened. The labor market did improve in fits and starts as housing started to recover. The economy produced 190,000 new jobs a month.