The Know Daily - Thursday 16 October 2025

_{Read in 4m 18s ∙ Listening to Ravyn Lenae ∙}

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.

✨ Thank you to Trading 212 for partnering with The Know to make investing more accessible and for keeping this newsletter free for all ✨

The UK has announced a £50 million boost for groundbreaking mental health research 💚 The funding will fast-track new treatments and involve people with lived experience at every stage – bringing hope, innovation and real change to mental health care.

💷 The gender investment gap

Research has revealed that more than half of UK women have never held an investment product. This gap is something our team has been thinking about for quite some time so we are delighted to announce our partnership with Trading 212 to help get us clued up on the world of investing.

What is the gender investment gap?
The gender investment gap is the financial gulf between men and women when it comes to investing in products like stocks, funds or ISAs. While men are more likely to invest, women are more likely to keep their money in cash savings – which can carry less risk but tends to grow much more slowly over time. The result is that women can end up with smaller pots of wealth in the long run, even before factors like the gender pay gap come into play.

What’s causing it?
Culture, confidence and cash flow all play a role. Financial services still lean heavily on language surrounding risk which usually resonates less with women – and surveys show women often feel less confident about investing. The gender pay gap also means women have, on average, less spare money to set aside in the first place. Add to that fewer female role models in finance and the pressure of unpaid care work, and the barriers stack up quickly.

Ok, how do we fix it?
Part of the answer lies in making investing more accessible with clear jargon-free tools designed for beginners and seasoned investors alike. That’s where platforms like Trading 212 come in – offering commission-free investing and fractional shares (rather than owning a total share of stock, you own a partial one). Starting small can build confidence, and having more female voices and representation in the industry helps too. On a bigger scale, tackling pay inequality and ensuring women have equal financial opportunities is key to leveling the field.

Your starter kit for closing the gap:
🌍 Representation matters – join communities and follow female investors who are changing the face of finance. It’s important to inform yourself before taking the leap
📈 Fractional investing – want a share of Apple or Google without paying hundreds? Buy a fraction on Trading 212 and grow it over time.
✨ Start small – Trading 212 makes it easy to invest from just £1, so you don’t need a big lump sum to begin. Use the sponsored link below to receive free fractional shares between 8 and 100 GBP.

​​When you sign up with the promo code KNOW, you will receive a free fractional share worth between 8 and 100 GBP. All you need to do is deposit at least 1 GBP within 10 days of opening your account 💫

*When investing, your capital is at risk. Other fees may apply. This information is not investment advice. Do your own research. (Sponsored content.)

💻 AI pilot problems: A recent MIT report has found that about 95% of enterprise AI pilot projects fail to deliver measurable returns on investment.

• The bigger story: The problem usually isn’t the technology itself – it’s poor connection with current systems, unclear business goals, and following trends without a real plan. The successful few – roughly 5% – choose to focus tightly on one pain point, embed AI deeply into workflows and often partner with outside experts rather than building in-house alone.

🤼‍♀️ World-class wrestling: The Grand Sumo Tournament is being hosted at the Royal Albert Hall this week. 

💸 Environmental economics: A leading economist has said that climate investment is the only growth opportunity of the 21st century.

📚 Buried books: The personal library of a "forgotten scholar" has been brought to light for the first time in more than 370 years.

🍻 Propping up pubs: Labour is drawing up plans to allow pubs to stay open later and hold more events in efforts to boost the hospitality industry.

⚽ Let's go girls: Women’s teams are set to debut on the popular gaming franchise Football Manager.

✈️ Come fly with me: Expedia has named the best ‘set-jetting’ destinations for TV and film fans to explore in 2026. Oh, and the first might be a little closer to home than you’d expect…

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Trivia answer: C) On the autumn/winter ready-to-wear 2025 catwalks, gothic glamour has been reimagined as cinematic and elegant.

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