Britons say they need nearly £9,000 in cash before opening Stocks and Shares ISA, research finds Proactive uses images sourced from Shutterstock Survey for the US trading app’s UK arm suggests inflation is rising up the agenda for savers, but familiarity with non-cash ISAs remains limited Britons believe they need a median of £8,764 held separately in cash before opening a Stocks and Shares individual savings account, with almost one in five thinking they need £20,000, according to research commissioned ...

Group 1: Stock Market Performance - UK and US stocks have started December with declines, with the FTSE 100 down 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.5% to 47,457.90 [3][28] - The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8% to 23,186.74, reflecting investor caution amid a sell-off in cryptocurrencies [28][40] - The overall market sentiment is influenced by speculation regarding interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve [40][41] Group 2: Economic Developments - The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) resigned following a report labeling a Budget leak as the "worst failure" in its history [13][14] - The UK manufacturing sector has shown growth for the first time in 14 months, with the S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI rising to 50.2 in November [54][55] - Mortgage approvals fell by 600 to 65,000 in October, attributed to concerns over potential tax rises in the Budget [61] Group 3: Corporate Actions and Plans - BP is reportedly shelving plans for a major hydrogen project in Teesside, impacting net zero plans [2] - Zipcar has proposed to close its UK operations by the end of the year, pending employee consultations [19] - Harbour Energy announced plans to cut 100 jobs in the North Sea due to the Chancellor's refusal to adjust the windfall tax [35] Group 4: Cryptocurrency Market - The cryptocurrency market has seen significant declines, with Bitcoin dropping over 7% to $84,966 and Ether plunging 29% [2][40] - The overall market sentiment remains cautious, with traders noting a lack of inflows into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds [78] Group 5: Energy Sector - Diesel prices for UK drivers could rise if military action is taken in Venezuela, which is crucial for heavy sour crude oil used in diesel production [9][11] - Oil prices have been affected by OPEC+'s decision to maintain production levels, with Brent crude rising by 1.9% to over $63 per barrel [80][84]