Financial Studies Level 3 Certificate/Diploma

To what extent do you think the United Kingdom will move into a cashless society within the next five years?

Below is a list of financial services products offered by Barclays Bank. Do some research and find out more about what each of these products is as well as the different types of sub-products they offer within each category.

You may know currency as the money used to buy and sell goods. Each country has a recognised currency that can be exchanged with each other in what is called the ‘exchange rate’. You’ll be familiar with this basic concept if you have ever visited another country and needed to exchange your money for a different currency to spend abroad. But, increasingly, local currencies have been making a return within countries, in local communities. Watch the below video and have a think about these points:

• Where and how can this local currency be used?
• What were the reasons for and causes of this local currency being introduced?
• Now do some of your own research and try and find another local currency used somewhere in the world.

Finally, complete some research on current accounts. If you have completed the previous activities, you may want to refer back to them.

• First of all, what is a current account?
• What does it do and why would someone need or want one?
• Also, think about why somebody may want to close their current account, or why would the bank want to close down that current account?
• How easy it is to switch to another provider (bank, building society etc.) for a current account?
• Is there anything that could stop someone from being able to open up a current account?
• Should everyone have the right to have a current account?