What 4-year olds and marshmallows can teach investors

If you're going to invest, you first of all need to put some money aside. While it's possible to marry into money and/or inherit it, these aren't reliable methods; most people who accumulate wealth start off by spending less than they earn and save what is left over.

However, according to research from Santander, one in five Britons has no savings and many more have only a month or two's worth of living costs tucked away in their rainy day fund. These people never really acquired the habit of saving and, as a result, they live under a cloud of financial insecurity.