Looking for the best personal finance books? I’ve got you covered.
I read my first personal finance book when I was about 19 years old, and it completely changed my mindset around money.
Since then, I’ve been an avid reader of books about money. You name it, I’ve read it.
So whether this is your first attempt into the personal finance world or you’ve been around the block, I believe I can help you with some recommendations on the next book to read.
Best Personal Finance Books for Beginners
1. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This is the first personal finance book I read, and the lessons in it have stuck with me.
The book narrates the author’s story of growing up with two dads—his real dad and his best friend’s dad—with different perspectives on money. He shares how both of them influenced his thoughts about money and investing.
What’s in it for you:
- The author dispels the myth that you need a high income to become rich.
- The book clearly differentiates between an asset and a liability.
- It offers fundamental knowledge for a bright financial future.
All in all, this book is great for a beginner who wants to learn how to manage money.
Rich Dad Poor Dad doesn’t go into the intricate details of budgeting or investing, but it offers a solid foundation that will help you start your journey to becoming financially independent.
2. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
This book’s premise is that you can take control of your own money.
It promises to completely change your money habits by offering a simple, straightforward game plan.
What’s in it for you:
- You’ll learn a surefire plan of how to get rid of debt.
- You’ll be able to recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths.
- You’ll learn how to save up big for emergencies and retirement.
If you’re tired of all the get-rich-quick schemes out there and want to learn real, surefire ways of bulking up your wallet, then this book is for you.
3. Why Didn’t They Teach Me This In School by Cary Siegel
This personal finance book is an excellent graduation gift for both high school and college graduates.
It was written to supplement the lack of personal finance education in our conventional school system.
What’s in it for you:
- Including eight important lessons, this book focuses on 99 principles of financial independence that are simple and memorable
- Quick and easily digestible read
- Real, practical advice for everyday situations
Young people find this book particularly suitable to their circumstances.
4. Broke Millenial by Erin Lowry
This book promises to teach you how to stop living paycheck to paycheck and get your financial life back together.
It offers a step-by-step strategy that will help transform you from flat broke to financial badass.
What’s in it for you:
- Understanding your relationship with money
- The art of managing student loans
- How to discuss finances with your partner
Broke Millenial targets young millennials in their 20s or 30s and is perfect for those struggling to make ends meet every month. If this sounds like you, then hell yeah, you’ve got to read this book.
5. Get a Financial Life by Beth Kobliner
This personal finance book promises to help you get your financial life in order and is especially geared toward young adults.
What’s in it for you:
- How to decrease your debt
- How to avoid common money mistakes
- How to build a personal finance life in today’s ever-changing world
Get a Financial Life is perfect for young people who are just starting out in life.
6. You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham
This personal finance book promises to show you how to budget the right way by teaching you the four simple rules that will completely change the way you think about managing money.
What’s in it for you:
- How to get out of debt and save more money.
- How to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.
- How to create a budget that will empower you to feel free and liberated, not restricted.
I would recommend You Need a Budget to anyone who needs to build a solid lifestyle around budgeting.
7. The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan
The Financial Diet promises to teach you how to get good with your money—even if you don’t know where to start.
What’s in it for you:
- How to figure out your finances and get good with money
- The most efficient way to create and stick to a budget
- What it means to invest and how to do it
The Financial Diet is about everything, from the type of clothes you should purchase to creating a budget-friendly kitchen.
I would recommend it to anyone who is just beginning in the personal finance department.
8. The Broke and Beautiful Life by Stefanie O’Connell
Although not nearly as popular as most of the titles in this list, this book is an excellent resource on personal finance.
The title attracted me to read it, and I learned a thing or two that changed my mindset about money.
The book narrates the story of the author as she tries to achieve her dreams of becoming a Broadway actress.
She learns some hard lessons about money along the way, and that’s what she shares in the book.
What’s in it for you:
- Insight, humor, and fundamental money management strategies
- Highly practical and in-depth budgeting advice
I would recommend The Broke and Beautiful Life to anyone who wants to live the life of their dreams while still saving and investing in the future.
Best Personal Finance Books for Semi-Pros
9. I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
This personal finance book promises a no-nonsense, practical approach to financial independence.
The teachings are based on the four pillars of personal finance, namely banking, saving, budgeting, and investing.
What’s in it for you:
- A six-week program that works
- Learn the difference between cheap and frugal
- Learn the guns and cars myth of credit cards
- Learn how to negotiate like an Indian
- Learn how to get a CEO to take you out to lunch
The targeted audience for this book is 20-to-35-year-olds. So if you’re within that age range, then this book is perfect for you.
10. Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins
Arguably the most famous person in the self-help genre, Tony Robbins has written a book aimed at helping individuals take control of their money.
As the saying goes, “Money is a good servant but a bad master.” In his book, Tony teaches strategies to help individuals secure financial freedom for themselves and their families.
What’s in it for you:
- A seven-step blueprint for attaining financial independence
- Demystifying what it takes to save and invest
- How to set up a lifetime income plan
This personal finance book is for anyone—whether young or old—who wants to take control of their financial life and live the life of their dreams.
11. Unshakeable by Tony Robbins
Another personal finance book by Tony Robbins, this time he returns with a step-by-step playbook that will help you accelerate your path to financial independence.
Tony wrote this playbook after interviewing 50 of the world’s greatest financial minds.
What’s in it for you:
- The fastest method to put money back into your pocket
- The four core principles of financial success from the world’s greatest financial minds
- A simple, actionable plan for financial freedom
Unshakeable is for anyone who wants to tap into the mindset of the world’s greatest minds.
12. Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Your Money or Your Life promises to change your relationship with money and help you take back your life.
It proposes a nine-step program that will teach you to live more intentionally and meaningfully.
What’s in it for you:
- Learn how to get out of debt and save money
- Learn how to create wealth by investing
- Learn good habits such as mindfulness around money
In general, I’d recommend this personal finance book to anyone who wants to live life fully without adhering to the strictness of budgeting.
If you don’t want to have to choose between your money or your life, then this book is for you.
13. The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
In this unconventional personal finance book, the author describes the traditional “go to college, get a good job, and retire rich” as the slow lane to wealth.
Bucking against conventional advice, MJ DeMarco offers a fast lane to wealth that won’t take decades of soul-sucking hard work, decades of penny-pinching saving, and decades of diligent investing.
What’s in it for you:
- Crack the code to wealth
- The fast lane to live rich for a lifetime
I would recommend The Millionaire Fastlane to anyone who is skeptical of the conventional wisdom around wealth building and wants to explore a new, surefire way to riches.
14. Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier
Grant Sabatier went from having $2.26 in his bank account to a net worth of over $1.25 million in a span of five years.
In the process, he learned the invaluable lesson that money may be unlimited, but time is not.
In this personal finance book, he offers everything he’s learned on his way to financial freedom.
What’s in it for you:
- A step-by-step blueprint to make more money in less time
- How to create profitable side hustles
- How to save money without giving up the good things in life
- Travel the world for less
Financial Freedom is particularly suited to those interested in building wealth using passive income.
15. The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, and Broke by Suze Orman
This book is financial expert Suze Orman’s answer to our generation’s cry for help.
It deals with the specific problems—student loans, credit card debts—facing young people and offers real, practical advice.
What’s in it for you:
- Concise, pragmatic, and actionable steps to financial freedom
- Specific advice and interactive tools
- A step-by-step process to financial independence
This personal finance book is for young people who find themselves under a mountain of debt and need reliable financial advice.
Best Personal Finance Books That Will Completely Change Your Mindset
16. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
I’m very fond of this book, as it blew my mind with its simple stories laced with important life lessons.
The book follows the life of the richest man in Babylon as he shares how he started from nothing and earned his way to his current status.
There are other stories of exceptional people also included to drum home the book’s main lessons.
What’s in it for you:
- The real truth about how to become rich
- Engaging stories
- The cornerstone of real success
If you want to learn the truth about money and life, then this is the perfect book for you. The lessons in it are so simple and profound that it will have a huge impact on how you deal with money.
17. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
I have read this book a dozen times and still find golden nuggets of wisdom in it whenever I read it.
In the book, the author draws from stories of successful people in his time, such as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford, to explain the principles of getting rich.
The entire book is based on the Law of Success philosophy, which the author gleaned from the many successful people he interviewed over his lifetime.
What’s in it for you:
- The secrets that could bring you a fortune
- The secret to true and lasting success
- How to attract and enjoy lasting friendships and loving family relationships
I would recommend Think and Grow Rich to anyone who wants to transform their habits and mindset around money and success.
18. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles
This book was a complete mindset changer for me. It helped me understand the principle that everything—including success—starts with a single thought.
It explains how you can prepare yourself for success and abundance without unnecessary stress and worry.
What’s in it for you:
- The secret to changing your life and how much you earn
- The science of getting rich that works every time
- How to develop willpower and an attitude of gratitude
I would recommend The Science of Getting Rich to anyone who wants to learn about the foundation of success and abundance.
19. The Wealthy Gardener by John Soforic
This book contains a series of heartwarming stories and pragmatic wisdom on entrepreneurship, financial independence, and wealth accumulation.
It follows the life of a wealthy gardener who notices the financial troubles of the people in his community and decides to share life-long lessons with them.
What’s in it for you:
- Excellent stories that both teach and inspire
- The true path to financial freedom
- The true path to success, wealth, and happiness
The Wealthy Gardener is perfect for anyone who enjoys reading short stories laced with powerful life lessons.
20. The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley
This book promises to show you how millionaires get to where they are and how to become one of them.
It is based on the premise that to become a millionaire, you have to think like one.
What’s in it for you:
- Success factors to becoming extremely wealthy in one generation
- The habits and lifestyles of millionaires
- How millionaires make their life decisions and what they do with their time
If you want to think like a millionaire, then The Millionaire Mind is perfect for you.
21. The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton
The title of this one is what attracted me to it. There are not a lot of wealthy barbers in the world, are there?
This personal finance book offers a guide to financial independence and simplifies the subject of financial planning.
What’s in it for you:
- How to become wealthy without speculation or unnecessary risk
- How to put an effective financial plan into action
- How to achieve financial independence on nothing more than an average salary
The Wealthy Barber is excellent for those who enjoy humor and entertaining stories filled with real-life lessons.
22. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley
How would you define the lifestyle of a millionaire? Is it what you see on TV, with all the bling-bling?
Well, this book will turn upside down all that you know about millionaires. Everything you thought was true, well, forget that.
What’s in it for you:
- Learn the exact habits of the rich that got them to where they are
- Learn the seven common traits among millionaires
I’d recommend The Millionaire Next Door to anyone who wants to accumulate wealth and live a comfortable life.
Also, if you’re not all that thrilled by the fancy lifestyles being sold on television, then this book is for you.
23. You’re Badass At Making Money by Jen Sincero
If you’ve read You’re Badass, a self-help title by the same author, then you’d definitely love to read this personal finance book.
In her usual humorous style of writing, Jen Sincero discusses the role our thoughts and beliefs play in our financial lives. She argues that our bank accounts are mirrors of our beliefs about money.
What’s in it for you:
- Laugh-out-comedy combined with life-changing concepts
- Manageable and bite-sized tips you can immediately incorporate into your life
- Practical, real-life advice from someone who has gone from living in a converted garage to traveling around the world in five-star luxury hotels
This book is highly recommended to anyone who can’t hold on to money, even though they earn a high income.
24. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
There’s a big gap between wanting success and actually achieving it. This book bridges that gap.
The author argues that we all have a money blueprint ingrained in our subconscious, and this blueprint determines our financial success more than anything else.
What’s in it for you:
- How your money blueprint works
- The mindset of rich people
- How to change your money blueprint and change your life
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is for anyone who wants to learn the mindset and ways of the rich and inculcate them into their life.
Best Personal Finance Books on Investing
25. The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore
This personal finance book is a DIY investment handbook based on the wisdom of John C. Bogle, an American investor and business magnate who founded The Vanguard Group.
What’s in it for you:
- How to craft your own investment strategies using Bogle-proven strategies
- How to invest regularly and know what you are buying
- How to keep taxes and costs low by preserving your buying power
The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing is for any investor looking for expert and sound advice that has worked for thousands of others.
26. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
In this book, the legendary investor John C. Bogle reveals his secret to getting more out of investing.
He describes a simple yet effective strategy for amassing wealth over the long term.
What’s in it for you:
- Forget the fads and market trends and learn what works in the real world
- Learn how to make compounding returns work for you while avoiding the pitfalls of compounding costs
- Learn how to build a well-diversified, low-cost portfolio without all the risks associated with it
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing is for the investor looking for long-term guaranteed success in the stock market.
27. A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel
One of the most popular and highly recommended investment books, this book promises to be the best investment guide your money can buy.
What’s in it for you:
- Expert advice on the best investment opportunities, including new information on cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin
- Expert advice on 401k contribution, tax-loss harvesting, and retirement
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide on investment, this is the right book for you.
28. One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch
In this book, Peter Lynch, a veteran mutual fund manager, explains the advantages the average investor has over the professional, and how to leverage those advantages to attain financial success.
What’s in it for you:
- Easy-to-follow-advice
- How you, an average investor, can beat the pros by leveraging what you know
- How to recognize investment opportunities everywhere
- How to invest for the long term
Basically, One Up On Wall Street is an investment weapon in the average person’s hands.
29. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
Touted as the stock market bible, this book has been around since 1949.
Over the years, the stock market has soared and collapsed, but Graham’s wisdom has remained vital and indispensable.
What’s in it for you:
- Learn the philosophy of value investing
- Learn how to avoid substantial errors and build long-term goals
- Learn from arguably the greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century
This may be the most important investment book you will ever read.
30. Millionaire Teacher by Andrew Hallam
Andrew was a high school English teacher who became a millionaire by following the simple rules given in this book.
Can you even imagine becoming a millionaire on a teacher’s salary?
What’s in it for you:
- Learn the financial fundamentals of becoming a millionaire
- Learn how to beat most professional investors
- Learn how to find the right kind of financial investor
- Learn how to make smart investment decisions
- Learn the ABCs of investing in index funds
Millionaire Teacher will teach you how to build a strong financial future by making the right decisions.
31. The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins
This personal finance book is the ultimate guide to wealth and investing.
Starting as a series of letters from the author to his young daughter, this book has grown into a fundamental guide to achieving a rich, free life.
And it is now available to all.
What’s in it for you:
- How to avoid debt or manage it if you have it
- The importance of having F-you Money
- The ultimate guide to investing
I’d recommend The Simple Path to Wealth to anyone who wants to learn how to build wealth through investing, without all the complicated terms and advice.
You can also check out the author’s blog at https://jlcollinsnh.com/