The Fresher Refresher on Finances every new student needs
Iona Bain Recently, I was on Woman's Hour discussing what every student needs to know about money matters before hitting Freshers' Week. It was a short item, with not enough…
Our post-school education system is broke, says House of Lords
Iona Bain The post-school education system is broke and needs urgent fixing, a scathing House of Lords report has found. It says the move to tuition fees funded largely by…
Good for pension companies – right for young people?
Iona was on BBC News today challenging the government’s plans to enrol workers as young as 18 into pensions. Ministers plan to reduce the minimum age for automatic pension saving…
Do millennials need a pension? Iona at the PLSA conference
Iona was a guest speaker today at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference in Manchester. In a special session on what the new Lifetime Isa means for workplace…
Young people in debt crisis – it’s official
Iona was on Radio 5 Live this morning as the expert on young people’s money in special features on debt. Financial Conduct Authority chief Andrew Bailey has warned of a…
Magic wands for millennials
Young Money Matters A new regular bulletin from Young Money Blog 4 October 2017 The Government and Opposition are suddenly scrapping for the young vote (they…
My lastminute.com student account lifesaver!
Oi freshers! Have you left picking your student account to the absolute last minute? You silly moos. What else have you had to think about over the last few weeks...apart…
Why grandparents can be a lifeline for gen Y
Iona Bain When I started my blog six years ago, nobody was really talking about how the downturn would affect young people. I remember reading the occasional newspaper column that…
Listen to Iona chat about AWESOME credit unions
Anca Voinea Meeting the needs of the modern consumer while addressing ageing memberships remain two key challenges for credit unions in Britain. According to recent research by BNY Mellon in collaboration…
Conquer “fresher pressure” with these handy apps
Iona Bain You're away from home for the first time with a slender student loan and spending temptations all around. What could possibly go wrong? The average student burns through £3,304…
Why you shouldn’t be in a hurry to pay off student debt
Iona Bain The Brexit vote may be causing interest rates on loans to fall through the floor, but, sadly, for students and graduates there is one exception. Rates on…
UPDATED 2016: What happens to your student overdraft when you graduate?
This is one of the most popular guides on the Young Money blog and with good reason. It explains the pitfalls of transitioning from a student account to a graduate…
UPDATED 2016: Freshers, your last minute guide to the best student accounts
Have you left picking your student account to the last minute? Panic not: here is my definitive guide to getting the best deal. Banks have been downgrading the freebies you get…
News Latest – Peers undermine starter homes plan
UNWANTED PEER PRESSURE The government’s Starter Homes initiative to encourage more new homes to be built on brownfield sites, and help first-time buyers by offering a 20% discount on them,…
The Packhorse Generation – MPs protest in vain
Iona Bain THE PACKHORSE GENERATION This afternoon the House of Commons voted on a Labour motion calling on the government to reverse its decision to end maintenance grants for students.…
Junior Doctor strikes shouldn’t overshadow Britain’s nursing mess
Amid high profile strikes by junior doctors, let's not forget about the hardship faced by Britain's young nurses Iona Bain At this time when everyone’s attention is drawn to the…
All degrees are created equal, but some are more equal than others
Helen Lawless This week young people all over the country got their A-levels results, and it got me thinking about the dilemmas faced by prospective and current university students, as…
Student season: budgeting, overdrafts, insurance and earning extra cash
Iona Bain Your exam results are finally through and depending on how they turned out, you may be on top of the world…or coming back to earth with a bump.…
Student season: What’s the REAL cost of student loans?
Iona Bain Going up to uni this Autumn? You may be - understandably - worried about the price tag for your degree. Or perhaps you've recently graduated and want to know how…
Runaway debt: It’s the new norm for university students
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…
“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…
The rise of the virtual university
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…
The ultimate graduate’s survival guide!
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…
How much will it REALLY cost a student to insure their laptop?
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…
