Iona Bain is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author and speaker who specialises in personal finance. In 2011, she founded the pioneering Young MoneyBlog and went on to become the UK’s go-to voice on millennial money throughout the 2010s.
She is now BBC Morning Live’s resident money expert, broadcasting her helpful, down-to-earth advice to millions every week and presenting regular reports on a range of subjects, from money muling to cash stuffing. Her 2022 report on her struggles with dyscalculia has been widely credited with bringing the condition (known as “numbers dyslexia”) into the mainstream and led to her becoming an ambassador for National Numeracy.
She has appeared extensively on TV and radio throughout her 13 year career, with appearances including Question Time, Newsnight and Panorama. She presented two in-depth investigations for File on 4 in 2023, has previously presented Radio 4’s Moneybox and joined Paul Johnson for the 2020 Radio 4 series. The Austerity Audit. She has also written prolifically for print and online media, with her work including a weekly column in the i newspaper and a bi-weekly column in the Metro. Iona Bain has also been a staple of youth and female-focused media with her comments appearing frequently in Vogue, R29 and VICE.
Iona Bain has also written two books – her latest, Own It, focuses on how young people can invest their way to a better future. She recently started Focus on Finance, an initiative to help the next generation learn about the financial industry via in-person events featuring inspiring speakers. She will be awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2024 in recognition of her contribution to young people’s financial literacy.
This is an overview of the financial challenges facing the public right now (particularly younger people) and how employers/individuals/society can respond effectively.
The cost-of-living crisis and its impact on different demographics
Advice for how to navigate the crisis as an individual/employer depending on circumstances/demographics
The housing crisis, central bank/government policy and the increasing complexity of digital finance
The all-important roadblock between financial independence and settlement
The wider social and cultural trends driving young people’s dissatisfaction with their finances, such as high expectations set by baby boomers
The biggest myths surrounding millennial finance, from the avocado brunch fallacy to the idea that we’re all self-employed side hustlers
The social, economic and financial factors in our favour
How individuals and/or organisations can capitalise on technology, expanding knowledge and cultural de-stigmatisation of money to improve our financial outlook.
An in-depth look at how financial education can transform young people’s understanding of money, looking at:
The evidence supporting the argument for financial education
What’s currently going wrong in financial education?
How self-taught money education changed my life
My insights gained from 10 years working on various educational projects
Approaches and methods that could prove most effective
How can organisations use financial education to empower their workforce?
An inspirational, fun, and insightful look at how I went from clueless musician to millennial money guru who appears on BBC Morning Live every week, covering:
How did a stolen piggy bank change my outlook on money?
How you can understand your financial psychology, and change it for the better
How I learned to manage my money
My challenges with dyscalculia, how I overcame them and my work with National Numeracy
My work on BBC Morning Live and the impact I’m having
What are the key lessons? From learning about debt the easy way, to setting digital boundaries.
A helpful and accessible talk breaking down the modern financial landscape for young people today, looking at:
Why long-term saving and investing matters for you and the world.
How can you set yourself up to invest for the long-term?
The basics of pensions, from auto-enrolment to ‘greening’ your retirement fund.
The three main kinds of investing tech – robo-advisers, platforms and share-trading apps.
The dangers posed by day-trading, forex, Bitcoin and ‘finfluencers’ promoting high-risk schemes.
How to protect yourself against fraud and maximise your chances of achieving your goals.
Show More
Contact us to get Iona Bain's fees and availability for your next event
One of our consultants will get back to you soon