Should we be afraid that in the digital era, anyone with a broadband connection and a few hundred pounds can gatecrash the elite world of City traders - even if, like Sally Nicoll, they are numerically dyslexic?

Sally is looking for a source of extra cash to fund a sabbatical, while she writes a novel, and decides spread betting is the answer. She tries to open an account with Finspreads - their website has the best colour scheme - only to discover she's been credit blacklisted. Instead of being thankful for divine intervention, she complains to the marketing department and is hired to write an online trading diary.

Bets and the City is based on Sally's enormously popular column for Finspreads.

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