Less than a week into 2015, and already oil is down 9% for the year. Oil prices fell below $50 a barrel on Monday for the first time since Apr 2009. By Tuesday, oil traded below $48. Oil prices crashed in a similar fashion in 2008, but for a different reason. After several years of rising prices, oil got so expensive that demand dropped. As the global economy crashed, oil fell from $148 a barrel to $40 during the last half of 2008. Throughout that selloff, however, the futures market stayed optimistic. This time around, the futures market has tanked along with current prices. If prices come back more quickly than expected, a lot of money can be made.