Iona Bain Keynote Speaker

Iona Bain is one of the UK’s leading voices on personal finance, economics and financial wellbeing. A financial journalist, broadcaster and keynote speaker, she is widely recognised for making complex financial issues accessible, engaging and relevant to modern audiences. Through her work across television, radio and print media, Iona helps individuals and organisations navigate the changing economic landscape with greater confidence and clarity.

As the founder of the award-winning Young Money Blog, widely recognised as the UK’s first money blog aimed at millennials, Iona became one of the earliest commentators dedicated to improving financial literacy for younger generations. Her expertise spans personal finance, consumer behaviour, pensions, intergenerational wealth and the economic challenges shaping society today. She is also the author of two books, Spare Change (2016) and Own It (2021), both focused on helping younger people build financial confidence and independence.

In late 2021, Iona joined BAFTA-nominated BBC Morning Live as its resident money expert. She now appears weekly on the UK’s highest-rated daytime magazine show, broadcasting practical financial advice and insight to more than a million viewers. She also regularly presents reports for the programme, travelling across the country to explore the financial issues affecting households and communities nationwide.

As of early 2026, Iona is also a reporter for BBC Panorama, presenting her first primetime BBC One documentary on credit card debt. In 2025, she became a weekly money columnist for The Observer and host of Legal & General’s flagship top 50 UK podcast, A Little Bit Richer. Over a 15-year career, she has appeared extensively across BBC programming, including presenting Radio 4’s Moneybox and File on 4, alongside appearances on Question Time, Newsnight and Woman’s Hour. Her print journalism has included regular contributions to the Financial Times, The i and a wide range of national publications.

Iona has also fronted several high-profile public campaigns, including Pay Your Pension Some Attention with Gemma Collins, which won four industry awards, including PR Week’s Best Corporate Social Media and Influencer Campaign in 2025. In recognition of her contribution to financial literacy, she was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2024 and named Financial Journalist of the Year by the Institute for Financial Wellbeing in 2025. She is an ambassador for National Numeracy and a governor of the Pensions Policy Institute, a non-partisan charity focused on improving pension policymaking in the UK.