Own It! Book Review

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Own It! by Iona Bain is a finance book targeted at younger generations attempting and remove the smokescreen shrouding pensions, mortgages, savings, and investing and make it less intimidating. Bain explains everything in laymen’s terms which makes the book suitable for even the most inexperienced reader and Own It! attempts to encourage and nurture the reader’s interest in taking control of their financial situation. From dipping their toes into investing to buying a house, Bain explains the pros and cons (as well as loopholes and things to avoid) for just about everything!

The whole book is written in a very modern and accessible tone. Far from seeming like she’s ‘getting down with the kids’ it’s a reminder that this book is written by someone young, encountering these issues and sharing what she’s learnt. These things can be scary and feel overwhelming, especially if you find yourself in a tight situation financially but Bain does a great job and making the reader not just feel comfortable but, quite suitably, feel as if they can own their finances! She also tells the reader to skip chapters if they’re not relevant (i.e. about house buying if you’ve already bought a house) which I loved because it gives the reader the agency to dip in and out as they please.

My biggest takeaway from this book is a piece of advice the author gives quite early on: save for anything you want in the next 5 years, invest for goals further than 5 years away. Simple tidbits like this are really want makes this book great – I know real life is complicated and sometimes difficult to plan for, but I think having these principles in mind could really help someone understand how investing works and stop them jumping into anything naively or prematurely.

By tapping in and recognising every cynical thought readers have had about baby boomers having it better than us, the author again recognises so many common anxieties and ideas younger readers may have had about finances. The whole thing is very optimistic and Bain does a great job of reassuring the reader while beaming positivity in a helpful way. She acknowledges that everyone is in a different situation financially and tries to cater for all.

All in all I really loved this book for what it was trying to achieve. My only criticism would probably be that if anything it didn’t go into enough detail – sometimes I found myself scratching my head even after things had been explained and did my own research to supplement my understanding from the book. That said, that was probably the author’s intentions – this isn’t supposed to be the be all and end all of financial advice, just a way for readers to test the water and get a better understanding!

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Packed with modern references, an accessible tone, and wit and humour I really appreciated, this book is something really quite useful. I can’t speak for all gen Z & millennials but I don’t doubt that many young people don’t understand a lot about investing, pensions, mortgages, or even their own bank accounts so what this book achieves is hugely commendable. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it makes finance fun (it’s really not my cup of tea) but it makes it a hell of a lot less intimidating and for that it is a triumph!

[Thank you to Harriman House for sending me a copy of this book. If you’d like to purchase a copy for yourself then click here and use the discount code AMY25 for 25% off and free UK delivery!]