Interactive Investor's determination to take the DIY investing fight to the UK's leading platform Hargreaves Lansdown was signalled again as it bought out a rival.

The stock market rally earlier in the week was largely in response to the US government aid package, but it also suggested some investors are hazarding a guess at what the future will hold.

Anthony Bolton, who has been one of the UK's most successful investors over the last four decades, said he has returned to investing in a personal capacity.

Following the closure of millions of businesses due to the coronavirus, many firms are looking to do all they can to hang on to cash reserves to help them through the difficult time ahead.

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and changes to charges have left many investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best.

A balanced portfolio has a mix of assets, all of which perform differently at varying stages of the economic cycle. All investors should ensure a good mix.

Markets have plummeted over the past month, meaning some heirs could have 'overpaid' inheritance tax when they were at peak value.

Any update on recent trading and what this could mean for 2020's revenues and profits will be gratefully received by shareholders when Tesco reports its full-year results next Wednesday.

Some people will disapprove of the idea of making money from this struggle. But investors have been snapping up shares in businesses developing vaccines or tests.

The board of the trust served a notice of termination to Invesco and Barnett 'following an extended period of underperformance', in a further blow to the manager.

It arises from the fact that many of the country's leading income-orientated trusts have sufficient income buffers (reserves) in place to withstand a hostile dividend environment.

Investors will be glad to see the back of the first three months of 2020, after the coronavirus outbreak meant that the first quarter of the year proved brutal.

While mini-bonds are not normally protected, B&G used a regulated company to drum up clients and raise money, which means investors who poured money in that way could be entitled to a payout.

Absolute return funds are designed to turn a profit come what may. They were out of favour before the coronavirus emergency, but is it worth shopping for one now?

As more companies are set to tap shareholders for cash, an app called Primary Bid is calling for companies to allow ordinary investors to participate in these funding calls.

The much-publicised move by the big banks to cancel their dividends has left investors with mixed emotions and many questions. But the loss of this income will still come as a blow.

Markets which bet on the future value of dividends paid by FTSE 100 companies indicate that two-thirds of the missing payouts could be lost forever.

Richard Wilson, the boss of giant investment broker Interactive Investor, thinks that now the tide is going out during the coronavirus crisis, it is exposing the true nature of some of Britain's bosses.

Technology stocks, which are usually the worst-hit during market downturns, are among the best performers over the past six weeks during the coronavirus chaos. This is Money finds out why.

Five years has always been the standard stipulation from financial experts as the minimum period that small investors should plan to remain in the market.

It is one of the most viewed shares on online trading platforms and its price has rocketed from 13 per cent at the start of the year to a peak of 491p on Tuesday.

These are investment trusts whose shares last week were trading at discounts to asset value in excess of 10 per cent. They are all trusts run by respectable investment houses.

With Covid-19 dominating the news, the focus on healthcare has never been greater. Companies making everything from vaccines to disinfectant are suddenly having their moment in the sun.

Share prices have rallied since governments began injecting billions into faltering economies. But Elliott Management and Peter Hargreaves are warning of further heavy falls.

Many leading investment platforms offer ready-made Isa portfolios, but what is in them?

The board of the £509million Temple Bar investment trust has served notice to its manager Ninety One, after portfolio manager Alastair Mundy stepped down for health reasons.

After a shaky start caused by stockpiling, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons have mostly kept shelves stocked and ensured supplies for the vulnerable, enhancing their reputation with customers.

With more than half the world currently under some form of lockdown, the businesses that are still able to serve our needs are reporting increased profits and moving into new markets.

More younger people are investing thanks to the rise of the simple stocks and shares Isa - are they worried about recent market volatility? We find out.

Despairing income investors watching dividends shrivel or vanish should consider corporate debt, say experts.

Older people who are anxious about their pensions or other finances can book a 'no strings attached' call with a regulated financial adviser.

Some dividends will survive and Simon McGarry, senior equity analyst at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, narrows down the field.

In a little under two weeks the reward for digitally mining Bitcoin will be halved from 12.5 coins per block to 6.25, constricting the supply of the cryptocurrency and potentially driving up price.

In future, more people may want to preserve their money, rather than maximise returns. Fund managers like Jonathan Ruffer who are committed to safeguarding could become power players.

Anglo Pacific Group PLC (LON:APF) has access to a huge amount of financial firepower, both from its own balance sheet and in the form of various borrowing facilities that are in place.

Of 176 dividend announcements made by companies between mid-March and mid-April, only 14 confirmed the continued payment of a dividend. But there is the odd 'sweet spot'.

Some sectors look good value for investors, while others will be best avoided.

With restaurants, cafes and pubs closed, demand for food and drink delivered to our door is booming.

It under-performs in rising markets while outperforming when equity prices are sliding. It's an investment modus operandi that has stood up reasonably well to recent stock market stresses.

Britain's world class big pharma companies were always going to be a huge asset in the fight against Covid-19 and in finding solutions, not just to this pandemic, but to future similar events.

Georgieva scratched at an old wound when she said that the UK should seek an extension beyond the transition period for leaving the EU. Brussels gave the Bulgarian her job and she has not forgotten.

The latest public policy intervention to support R&D and start-ups through the worst of the Covid-19 crisis is right. Some will complain the government is slow to react and lags behind Germany.

Richard Branson has touched a raw nerve with his £500m bailout request for Virgin Atlantic. He is portrayed as living the high life in the Caribbean with a reputation for treating women carelessly.

To make matters easier for the lenders, the Bank of England has already released counter-cyclical buffers to prepare for current loan demand.

When the coronavirus became an issue early this year there was much loose talk about it being no more than a cold. Similarly, it was easy to regard the economic impact as transitory.

For everyone managing a pension or investment fund, Shell's decision to slash its dividend by two-thirds and suspend promised share buybacks will be a profound shock.

ALEX BRUMMER: In spite of best government efforts the nation is heading for a slump, a surge of insolvencies and levels of unemployment almost certainly not seen in our lifetimes. Action is needed.

ITV's chief exec Carolyn McCall has done the right things to limit the scarring. Some 800 workers have been furloughed, the dividend and executive pay have been cut and costs severely pruned.

By unhappy coincidence, the anniversary of the most rapturous day in British history, victory in the war against Nazi evil, comes amid a dismal historic message from the Bank of England.

As a nation in lockdown commemorated VE-Day, here is something to ponder. In the midst of the War, policymakers in Britain and around the world were deep in planning for the peace.