The Treasury has launched a new gilt offering the equivalent of 5.375% interest until January 2056 but investors need to act quickly, says AJ Bell, as orders need to be made through the platform by 2.30pm today.

More than half of the UK’s financial advisers believe that increasing the ISA allowance above its current £20,000 limit would significantly boost investment in stocks and shares ISAs.

The number of people choosing to invest climbed 5% in the last year as confidence in investing soared by 25%.

The Financial Conduct Authority has today published its proposals for a new investment-generating stock market platform to be called PISCES.