Nearly half of UK households say that they would struggle to cope if their monthly outgoings rose by £99. We look at how you can create some financial 'breathing space' to help you out if you lose your job or become ill.
US stocks plunge over Italy fears

The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 216 points to close at 13,784
Stocks have dropped sharply as investors worry that Italy could be seized with political paralysis, stymieing the country's economic reforms and causing another flare-up in the region's debt crisis.
The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 216 points to 13,784, a loss of 1.6% and the biggest drop since November.
The Standard & Poor's 500 dropped 27 points, or 1.8%, to 1,487. The Nasdaq lost 45 points to 3,116.
An early gain was gone by midday after reports from Italy suggested that the country was headed for political gridlock following strong gains by former premier Silvio Berlusconi and a protest campaign led by a former comedian.
Four stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was average, 3.8 billion shares.
https://nyse.nyx.com/(Wall Street)
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