The flower is not only a sight that lifts spirits in the gloomy cold of February. With careful nurturing it can be grown into a shrewd investment that for collectors is worth hundreds of pounds.

The FCA - run by interim chief executive Chris Woolard (pictured) -says it's biggest priorities are Key priorities are tackling 'unsuitable high-risk investments and 'financial scams'

DIY investment platform Interactive Investor has found its average Isa millionaire account is powered by a larger weighting towards investment trusts than open-ended funds.

Some £600m sitting in inactive bank accounts has gone to good causes since 2008, and the Government is thinking about extending this to investment funds, shares and insurance products.

Ahead of International Women's Day tomorrow, the FTSE 100 welcomed its sixth female chief executive this week as Milena Mondini de Focatiis was named new boss of insurance group Admiral.

These are difficult days. At times, it feels like the world is shuddering to a halt. There are fewer people as I wind my way to and from work every day and night on public transport.

Today is International Women's Day, a day where the achievements of women around the world are celebrated. It is also an occasion to look into why women don't invest as much as men.

We explain the challenges of staying invested during retirement, and offer a checklist on what to do in a market meltdown.

Although the FTSE 100 index rebounded yesterday - rising 2.8 per cent - it is still down 28.5 per cent since coronavirus fears really began to grip investors on February 24.

If ever there was a time when investors needed a hero, it's now. And among the stock market capitulation, a ray of light has arrived with the latest list of Dividend Heroes.

Dividend cuts are an inevitable consequence of the economy - both here and worldwide - sliding into recession in the coming months.

Five hugely experienced fund managers who passionately believe that stock markets reward long-term investors, however painful the present may be.

You can now put your money into an investment Isa wrapper, leave it in cash and invest it in stocks gradually over the course of the year. All the major fund supermarkets will allow you to hold cash.

The UK economy is highly likely to fall into a recession due to coronavirus. We look at funds to protect your wealth.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

England midfielder Harry Winks has called on men to be open about any struggles they are having with life in lockdown.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: The country's leading clubs have reaffirmed their commitment to women's football amid concerns over the impact of the coronavirus crisis on it.

JOE BERNSTEIN: Mourinho breezed into Stamford Bridge in June, 2004, having just won the Champions League with Porto. He quickly declared himself as the 'special one'.

AHEAD OF THE GAME: Chelsea players' U-turn on accepting pay cuts last weekend followed pressure from players at other Premier League clubs

The captain dragged across the kitchen floor by his ankles. The star striker tweeting a picture from the Lion King. The right-back in the garden, sobbing his eyes out. The night Leicester City won the title.

The Daily Mail City team explains the Government plans for the economy.

The Chancellor looks set to admit in the Autumn Statement that the national debt will not be falling as a percentage of national income by 2015-16.

Half this amount - £5,760 - can be placed into a tax-free cash Isa by savers. The full Isa limit can only be invested in a stocks and shares Isa.

The FTSE 100 held onto modest gains after the Chancellor admitted the economy would slightly contract in 2012.

The funds will be used largely to upgrade and maintain existing roads to help tackle congestion and reduce bottle necks.

The lower rate should allow Britain to compete on more favourable terms against other top economies - it compares with 40% in the US, 33% in France and 29% in Germany.

Today’s Autumn Statement has brought the anticipated bad news for travellers, with the Chancellor unveiling the expected rise in the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD).

The move would open up options for investors who are currently limited on which AIM stocks they can include, allowing them to hunt returns among small high growth firms.

Tory MPs had threatened to rebel against the government if George Osborne had gone ahead with his New Year tax hike on petrol and diesel.

The tax-free allowance for pensions will be cut from £1.5million to £1.25million over a lifetime and from £50,000 to £40,000 annually - raising an extra £1billion.

The Chancellor provoked a backlash after saying that headteachers should be able to pay teachers more if they perform better in the job than colleagues.

A 'triple lock' commitment was made in 2010, when the state pension rises were controversially switched from the retail prices index (RPI) to CPI, which has historically risen at a slower pace.

The Chancellor was forced to admit in the Commons that the economy will SHRINK by 0.1 per cent this year, forcing him to announced the Office for Budget Responsibility has predicted the economy will shrink this year by 0.1 per cent, down from the 0.8 per cent growth forecast just nine months ago.

Chancellors can never resist the opportunity to fiddle with pension rules. George Osborne has joined the club, pushed by the determination of the LibDems to be nasty to rich people.

Small companies and stockbrokers welcomed the chance that shares quoted on the junior Alternative Investment Market may qualify for tax relief under the Individual Savings Account shelter.

Banks will be asked to hand over businesses’ credit card transactions in an effort to smoke out tax dodgers, George Osborne announced.

A Gas Generation Strategy published alongside the Autumn Statement confirmed the establishment of an Office for Unconventional Gas and Oil.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility admitted it expects a £400million shortfall in the Government's coffers, after predicting the bank levy would raise £2.2billion in March's Budget.

The scheme will focus on s road improvements, housing and local infrastructure, regional growth and business, science, and schools and colleges.

George Osborne yesterday announced he was cutting the tax-free amount an individual can put into their pension each year from £50,000 to £40,000.

Motorists celebrated after months of lobbying by campaigners as George Osborne told MPs he was axing the planned January rise.

Labour frontbenchers mocked Nick Clegg, pictured, and his Lib Dem colleagues as George Osborne dashed their hopes of introducing a 'mansion tax' in his Autumn Statement.

George Osborne hoisted an 'Open for Business' sign over Britain with a multi-billion pound package to help firms fight back against the slump at home and the troubles in the eurozone.

The number in the 40 per cent tax band is expected to rise from 3.8million today by another 400,000 over the next three years, the Treasury said yesterday.