The Know Daily - Wednesday 22 October 2025

_{Read in 4m 24s ∙ Listening to Mimi Webb ∙}

The Maldives has become the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of three major infections: HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. Through consistent antenatal care and vaccination access, this island nation has achieved what once seemed impossible – a generation born free from these preventable diseases 💪

📋 Your financial health checklist

Feeling financially confident starts with the basics – understanding where your money goes, what it’s doing and how to make it work smarter for you. That’s why we’re so excited to be teamed up with Trading 212 to explore the simple steps that can help you check in on your financial wellbeing.

What is “financial health”?
Just like physical health, your financial health is about balance – managing day-to-day expenses, having a rainy day fund for the unexpected and planning ahead for future goals. By keeping tabs on your financial wellbeing, you can explore opportunities like investing, feeling secure and informed about your money.

Why is it important?
According to The Week, many of us never get formal education about money – leaving knowledge gaps in budgeting, credit and investing. The good news? You can start improving your financial wellbeing today, one small step at a time.

Here are some ideas to help you take stock of where you are and where to go next:

💡 Know your numbers
Review your monthly income, spending and savings. There are lots of fab budgeting templates out there to make it easier to spot habits and identify areas to tweak – have a browse and find the right one for you!

💡 Build a buffer
Aim for a small emergency fund – it can make a real difference when unexpected costs pop up. There’s a pretty handy general rule to keep in mind when trying to build your pot called the 50-30-20 rule: 50% of your income goes to needs, 30% to wants and 20% to savings.

💡 Set clear goals
Write down what you’re working toward – a trip, a deposit, a retirement fund. Having a goal makes saving (and sticking to it) easier.

💡 Learn the basics of investing
You don’t need to be an expert to start learning. Trading 212 offers free educational resources alongside commission-free investing – so you can explore how markets work at your own pace. *Other fees may apply.

💡 Keep learning
Financial literacy is an ongoing skill. Podcasts, workshops, and online platforms (like Trading 212’s learning hub) can help demystify everything from budgeting to building a portfolio.

Feeling ready?
If you've completed the checklist and are feeling confident, a great place to start your investing journey is through Trading 212’s introductory offer, exclusively for readers of The Know. 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 💫 Sponsored Content. Capital is at risk. 

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

🍫 Legally chocolate?: Biscuit bars once labelled as chocolate have been reclassified as “chocolate flavour” after cutting their cocoa content.

• The bigger story: Higher cocoa prices and challenging harvests have led manufacturers to replace some cocoa with palm and shea oils, while keeping packaging and pricing largely unchanged. The result? Bars like Penguin that appear similar to before but now no longer meet the legal definition of chocolate.

🇺🇦 Ceasefire support: European leaders have backed a proposal to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine, though talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to push it forward have been put on hold for now.

🤖 Artificial anchor: Channel 4’s Dispatches has become the first British television programme to use an AI presenter.

🎓 Learning levies: The UK government has announced that university tuition fees will begin to rise with inflation.

💁‍♀️ Everybody wants this: French fashion house Hermés has appointed a Londoner as their new creative director.

✈️ Hot tips inbound: Here are some surprising items that could hold you up at airport security. (And no, it’s not just liquids).

🚂 Deck the carriages: Britain’s most luxurious train (yes, it’s a whole thing) is set to tour the UK this Christmas.

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Trivia answer: B) Made from tar, wads of discarded chewing gum have been found across the European Alps.

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