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- The Know Daily - Friday 5 December 2025
The Know Daily - Friday 5 December 2025
Annabel Preston
December 05, 2025
Read in 5m 12s ∙ Listening to Mariah Carey ∙
Want to start investing but not sure where to begin? With Trading 212, you can build your portfolio easily from your phone – no jargon, no intimidation, just tools that help you take control of your money. Because investing should be for everyone. Capital is at risk. Sponsored content.
✨ Thank you to Trading 212 for partnering with The Know to make investing more accessible and for keeping this newsletter free for all ✨
Hello and Happy Friday!
The team are feeling particularly merry today after we enjoyed a fab Christmas day out together yesterday at the Royal Albert Hall! Sometimes the festive season can fly past you as work ramps up, trying to get as much done as possible before the new year. So it’s really fab to take some time to properly get in the spirit together – with a side of carols and mulled wine, of course.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. As many of you know, we’ve been partnering with Trading 212 lately on our mission to close the gender investing gap. I’m new to the game but Lily (our partnerships manager) is pretty much a seasoned pro – so, we’ve answered a few questions about our experiences of investing with Trading 212. Scroll on for our usual round-up of headlines and culture recs. 💫
Annabel
Editor
19.8bn | 2,000 |
$2.7m | 60,000 years |
UK NEWS
👩⚖️ Jury trials for offences likely to carry sentences of under three years are set to be scrapped in England and Wales, under new reforms aimed at speeding up the justice system.
💷 The chair of the UK’s independent budget watchdog – Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – has resigned after the body accidentally published the autumn Budget details online early last week.
🛍️ Small Business Saturday is tomorrow – the perfect time to show your local stores a bit of love ahead of Christmas.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
🇮🇳 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi to discuss trade and peace efforts for Ukraine.
📱Meta has begun removing Australian children under 16 years old from its Instagram, Facebook and Threads platforms, a week before an official teen social media ban begins.
🌆 Kazakhstan lit up its landmark buildings orange to mark the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
CULTURE
🎧 Spotify Wrapped 2025 dropped this week with a new feature guessing the listener’s age – the oldest on our team was Lynn at the ripe old age of 83 😂
🏆 The BRIT Awards has revealed the artists nominated for the 2026 Critics’ Choice award.
🚉 Chanel has brought high fashion to the New York City subway by staging the Métiers d’Art show on an abandoned platform.
WORK & INNOVATION
🧠 A third of people aged 16 to 29 would make mental health days a standard workplace benefit if they were in charge, new research has found.
🚙 Zipcar – the world’s biggest car-sharing company – is closing down operations in the UK, although it will honour its existing bookings.
🌌 NASA's Perseverance rover has detected what scientists believe to be lightning on Mars after the crackling sound of electrical discharges were captured by a microphone on the rover.
UPLIFTING STUFF
🏛️ A secret passageway in Rome’s Colosseum used exclusively by emperors has been opened to the public for the first time in 2,000 years.
🪸 Scientists in Australia have begun testing a new robotic system that could help restore parts of the Great Barrier Reef by planting baby corals.
👩⚕️ Just one HPV vaccine could be enough to fight cervical cancer, scientists have revealed after testing two different vaccines that are used around the world.
We don’t do clickbait or paywalls - which means we don’t make money in the same ways that traditional outlets do. We need your support in order to keep publishing and pay our journalists fairly. Can you help? 🫶
We’ve got two Trading212 investors on the team! Lily’s been investing for two years, while Annabel has only just started. We caught up with both of them to hear about their experiences, lessons learned and tips for anyone curious about getting started.
Lily, Partnerships Manager
How long have you been investing for?
Just over two years now.
What first motivated you to start investing through Trading212?
I was recommended it by my guy friends who’d been using it for years. I could see why straight away - the app is so intuitive and makes investing feel really accessible. It made me even more determined to share this with as many women as possible!
How has your approach to investing changed since those early days?
It's now just a part of my monthly finance management, while I put a bit aside into savings each month, I put the same amount into investments too.
What’s one mistake you made early on – and what did it teach you?
Getting nervous about any fluctuations and withdrawing money when it was going down, only to watch it go back up again weeks later. Unless you're an experienced day trader, it's all about thinking long term and riding out any short term volatility!
How do you find staying steady during market ups and downs?
I used to be fixated on checking my app every day. Now I'll have a little look once a month when I make my regular investments. I've been investing for long enough now to see how important that patience is.
What’s one myth about investing you’d love to bust?
That investing is only for high earners. Compounding means that starting early is often more impactful than starting big - it's all about small, regular contributions.
Annabel, Editor
How long have you been investing for?
Two months – still very much in the “learning everything I can” phase!
What first motivated you to start investing through Trading212?
Honestly, curiosity mostly. When Lily told us The Know was partnering with Trading212, she filled me in on her experience and I was sold. The app was super user-friendly, so I thought, why not give it a try?
What’s the first thing you did when you started investing?
I started really small – just a few pounds here and there, mostly in companies I already knew and liked. It helped me get a feel for the platform without feeling overwhelmed. But what really helped was the introductory offer Trading212 kindly gave us (free fractional shares worth between £8 and £100 – just for signing up to a Stocks and Shares ISA or an Invest account). PSA: you can get in on the deal too, just hit the button below 👀
*Sponsored Content. Terms Apply.
What’s one thing that surprised you about investing so far?
How important it is to invest (mind the pun) in learning. Brushing up on my financial literacy and keeping an eye on trends has been surprisingly engaging. I’ve found understanding the basics first makes investing feel a lot less intimidating when you actually start.
How do you approach investing now, after a couple of months?
I’m still figuring it out, but I try to set aside a small amount each month and focus on the long game.
Any advice for someone just starting out?
Take it slow, don’t be scared of mistakes and try to enjoy the learning process. Even in two months, I’ve already learned so much – and it feels good to take control of my finances.
A big thank you to Trading212 for partnering with us to keep this newsletter free to all and helping us close the gender investment gap. If we’ve got you interested in investing, this is your last chance to grab their fab introductory offer. Just follow the link below and you will earn free fractional shares worth between £8 and £100 when you sign up to a Stocks and Shares ISA or an Invest account. All you need to do is deposit at least 1 GBP within 10 days of opening your account and you’re good to go! 💫
Sponsored Content. Terms Apply.
* When investing, your capital is at risk. This information is not investment advice. Do your own research. To receive free fractional shares worth up to £100, you can open an account with Trading 212 and use the code KNOW and deposit at least £1 within 10 days of opening your account. Terms apply. Sponsored link.
🗞 Read: We've always been big fans of The Observer over here, and since they rolled out their new digital subscription, we've uncovered some of our favourite content – award-winning journalism, endless puzzles, and recipes for every occasion. If you subscribe today, you can start your digital subscription for just £1 for your first month. PSA: if you're under 35, they’re offering a special 50% discount on an annual subscription. 👀
🎧 Listen: My friend recommended this podcast to me and promised I would laugh out loud at least once on public transport – and she was right (three times, in fact!). With two hosts – one being the British etiquette coach, no less – you are walked through ways to make your everyday life more “luxury”. Say no more!
📺 Watch: Anything starring Aimee Lou Wood is an instant yes in my eyes and the new series of Daddy Issues is no exception. When I’m not giggling away at that, I’m hiding behind a cushion whilst watching the brilliant new thriller on Netflix, The Beast in Me. Also, now we are in the Christmas season we can get started on festive films. First up for me was The Family Stone – Diane Keaton is, of course, fabulous but the film takes you on a wild ride!
🧑🍳 Cook: The lead up to Christmas means one thing in my house – Nigella. And if you’re hosting a festive brunch then this recipe is the perfect one for you. Think: seasonal french toast.
Finance can feel complicated – but it doesn’t have to.
We’re so excited to partner with Trading 212 who are redefining what it means to invest, making it simple for anyone to start building their wealth straight from their phone. Whether you’re exploring fractional shares, setting up your first portfolio, or just curious about where to begin, their app turns complexity into confidence.
Because when investing feels accessible, everyone wins 🌟
Feel ready to start investing? Download the Trading 212 app to open your account now. You can sign up to a Stocks and Shares ISA or an Invest account with the promo code KNOW to receive free fractional shares worth between £8 and £100. All you need to do is deposit at least £1 within 10 days of opening your account 💫 Capital is at risk. Sponsored link. To receive free fractional shares worth up to £100, you can open an account with Trading 212 and use the code KNOW. Terms apply.
 | Ozzy from Oklahoma has officially been awarded a Guinness World Records title for the longest what on a living dog? |
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