Master your subscription game with my top tips
Taken advantage of a free trial just before Christmas? You could get a nasty surprise when you next check your banking app... It has long been a bugbear of the Young…
EXCLUSIVE: Could you “flex your rent” to avoid crushing debt?
Households struggling to keep out of debt could be offered a lifeline if a bold new scheme is adopted by councils and housing associations. ‘Rent-flex’ enables tenants to underpay or…
The surprising – and worrying – truth about financial education
Iona Bain Happy New Year, Young Money fans! I hope you had a restorative festive period. ICYMI, I was very fortunate to present my first radio programme just before Christmas.…
Mortgage claims may not be another PPI bonanza
IONA BAIN Cash-strapped households are being urged to take a punt on a legal action against banks, as claims firms hunt for a new complaints bonanza ahead of the PPI…
A guide to getting your dogsbody rebate worth ££££s
Iona Bain So I've talked about why the current unpaid internships debate is wrong-headed. But did you know that you might be able to claim back money from past internships? Welcome…
The young voices behind a Greek tragedy: our 2 year update
Two years on from Young Money Blog’s series of reports from Greece on the country’s ongoing economic crisis, we find out if life is any better - and whether Brexit…
Grenfell: media hypocrisy & the truth about London housing
Iona Bain Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, there will be much said about the plight of people in poor housing over the coming weeks and months. And much of it…
Man United fans face double letdown over savings gamble
You’d think football clubs were generating enough revenue from lucrative TV rights, hospitality and ticket prices. But they’ve also preying on fans’ loyalty through financial tie-ins, offering us the chance to be entered into prize…
How Right to Buy has caused intergenerational unfairness
Iona Bain Today, I commented on an exclusive BBC news story, showing how councils are spending millions clawing back Right to Buy homes (often paying well over the market value)…
Pensions; a scandal now…and in the future?
The story of David Borthwick’s devastated pension is not unusual. Sadly, there is a pensions disaster awaiting my generation too, unless urgent steps are taken Iona Bain This time last…
Derek v Goliath; a shocking tale of bank bullies & their legal protectors
PIC: Derek Carlyle outside RBS Iona Bain When it comes to David and Goliath battles involving banks, there is usually only one winner. But the curtain has just come down…
Investigation: the cosy arrangement that harms first-time buyers
The regulator will now investigate claims that estate agents harm our home-buying prospects when they refer us to in-house brokers in exchange for commission. We look at how homebuyers may have…
How the financial sector has failed us on fat cat bonuses
Iona Bain Theresa May has announced plans to give workers a greater say on executive pay today. But are fund managers - who invest our savings and pensions in big…
Investigation: thousands of divorced women deprived of PPI payouts
Iona Bain Thousands of divorced women deprived of PPI payouts by NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland will receive compensation, Money Mail can reveal. State-backed RBS-NatWest failed to pay separated…
Dual charges for investors an ‘absolute scandal’
My investigation for Times Money Iona Bain Investors who put money into funds between 20 and 40 years ago are losing thousands more in fees than recent investors. …
Dave’s ‘regeneration’ con trick & why it will compound the housing crisis
As seen in the Earls Court redevelopment, the Conservatives are being dishonest about the benefits to estate communities Matt Bain It’s official: ‘regeneration’ is David Cameron’s answer to the London…
Are banks exploiting loopholes to reject PPI complaints?
Iona Bain Thousands of PPI complaints on old store cards may have been rejected too hastily. But shoppers can get the compensation they deserve thanks to a secret hack. Shoppers…
Black Friday bargain hunters – and Amazon shoppers – beware!
Iona Bain Shoppers hoping to grab a bargain in this months’s Black Friday sales need to be on their mettle for distorted discounts and the growing dominance of shopping giant…
The Megaron Youth Symphony Orchestra
Is classical music dying in birthplace of Western culture?
“Why teach kids music when they could be learning something that will help save the economy?” How classical music in Greece is under threat of permanent extinction due to a…
Will £25,000 payout spark new PPI claims spree? Exclusive for Daily Telegraph
Iona Bain Santander has quietly paid almost £25,000 relating to a PPI complaint it had previously thrown out, potentially paving the way for millions of customers to reopen complaints previously…
Does Tinder have a responsibility to educate young people about STIs?
Iona Bain Tinder has become the most popular hook-up app in the world, attracting more than a million users in the UK alone. But does it have a social responsibility to…
Greece: How did the country get itself in such a mess? (Part 2)
"Sometimes, it takes five years to get paid", a worker told Matt Bain in Greece last month. This is the second part of a thoughtful and wide-ranging investigation into the Greek…
Greece: the crisis facing young people and how they are dealing with it
In this special series of blogs, Y Money Y takes a deeper look at the chronic economic crisis in Greece and asks how it is affecting the next generation. In…
The £1000 shopping spree that takes 20 YEARS to pay off: the truth about store cards
Iona Bain Strapped for cash but determined to grab that must-have item? The first instinct is to whip out the credit card but many retailers would like you to consider…
Bank loans for investments gone wrong? Sounds familiar…
Bank of Scotland loaned a couple almost £195,000 to invest in risky traded endowment policies aimed at paying off their interest-only mortgage, Money Mail reports today. The case echoes the…
How high are the fees for P2P and crowdfunding? You may be surprised…
Iona Bain “What you see is what you get”. That’s what the world of alternative finance wants you to think about its costs. Many platforms have vowed never to hit…
Is wearable tech REALLY worth the money?
Iona Bain Brits have splashed out at least £1.4billion on gym contracts, designer gym gear and fancy wearable tech so far this year, according to Vouchercodes.co.uk . That number is…
“Worrying” number of students rely on payday loans
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a "heritage" blog. That means we haven't updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
What would happen to pensions in an independent Scotland?
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a “heritage” blog. That means we haven’t updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
Has YOUR bank given you a hard sell for the wrong reasons?
Disclaimer: This is what we like to (politely) call a “heritage” blog. That means we haven’t updated the information here since publication (although we have tidied up the format). A…
