Best finance books: The best books for one of life’s most important topics

Whether you find finance a fascinating subject, or generally avoid talking or even thinking about it, learning more about the topic can definitely have a positive impact when it comes to money management, and can even be the key to financial stability. A good finance book can give you a better understanding of this important subject and can help you get to grips with how to better manage your money, make smart investments and plan a more secure future for yourself.

Finance is a broad subject and there are many different areas that the term covers. When we talk about finance, we could be referring to anything from personal finance, such as estate and retirement planning or basic money management like savings, to investing in stocks and shares, forex and cryptocurrency, perhaps in the hopes of an early retirement.

There are many finance books to choose from and it can seem pretty overwhelming trying to select the right one for you. This guide is here to help and takes a look at some of the best rated finance titles available on the market, covering a variety of topics to cater to everyone.

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Best finance books: At a glance

• Best overall finance book: The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life | Buy now
• Best finance book for beginners: Personal Finance for Dummies | Buy now
• Best finance book for investing: Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing | Buy now
• Best alternative personal finance book: The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness | Buy now
• Best finance book for millenials: Your Money or Your Life | Buy now
• Best finance book for property investing: Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat | Buy now

How to choose the best finance books for you

When it comes to choosing the best finance book, it is first useful to determine what exactly you want to learn more about. Finance covers many different areas with some aspects being much more complex to grasp than others. There would be little point picking up a book on forex trading, or investing in the stock market, if you don’t even have information on your basic personal finances locked down first. This brief buying guide will give you a better steer as to how to choose the best finance book for you.

What types of finance books are available?

There are thousands of finance books on the market today providing insights into a huge variety of different topics. Some finance books are more geared towards personal finance and the psychology of money, i.e., how our behaviours are interlinked with our financial success or failures. These are great beginner guides to help you hone into your issues and get a better grasp on your personal financial affairs.

Other finance books look purely at investing strategies, such as investing via the stock exchange, for example. Such books are useful for those with an interest in stocks and shares and potentially watching their money grow. Others might be more interested in investing in the property market, and there are specific books that provide useful tips on how to get on and navigate the property ladder.

What features should I look for in a good finance book?

First things first, it’s useful to work out what you need to avoid. It might seem obvious, but you should be very wary of ‘get rich quick’ books that claim to give you the secret to overnight success. If you succumb, in the worst-case scenario, you will have wasted a couple of days of your time and around a tenner; in the best case, you will have come away with a couple of useful tips, though it’s likely you could probably have found them on the internet, anyway.

Before picking up any finance book, consider your specific financial needs along with your level of understanding of finance. If you’re a beginner, there are many books that break the subject down into more digestible, bite-sized chunks, while if you have a little more knowledge about the topic, there are other guides that have more advanced financial lingo, often tailored to a more professional reader. So be sure to establish whether the book is written in terminology that you can fully understand.

Another factor to consider is the book’s author. Who is he/she? What is their background? Are they knowledgeable and trustworthy enough to be advising you on financial matters? Taking the time to ask these questions before you buy will increase your chances of investing in a book that’s actually useful to you.

Finally, it’s always good to be aware that any financial advice contained in these books, on the subject of investing, for example, will always carry some form of risk. A good finance book will explain exactly what those risks and consequences are… forewarned is forearmed.

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The best finance books to buy in 2023

1. The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life by JL Collins: The best overall finance book

Price: £18 | Buy now from Amazon

Financial expert and author J.L. Collins wrote a book based on a series of letters he wrote to his daughter regarding finance; she didn’t want to spend her life thinking or worrying about money, despite being aware of its importance. He created a simple approach for his daughter that is easy to implement and understand and explains it in great detail.

Some of the topics explored in the book include debt, how to think about money, what the stock market is and how it works, bull and bear markets, and why/how you can be scammed… and how to avoid getting stung.

This book is an excellent read for those wanting a simple investment strategy with financial freedom and, potentially, an early retirement as their end goal.

Key specs – Publisher: Audible Studios; Edition: first; Length: 286 pages; Other digital formats: Kindle, audiobook

2. Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson: The best finance book for beginners

Price: £13 | Buy now from Amazon

Personal Finance for Dummies is a great book to start off with if you are looking to take charge of your own finances, but don’t even know where to start. The author, Eric Tyson, is a personal finance expert with many years of experience working in the industry. In his early career, he worked as a management consultant to a Fortune 500 financial services firm. He then dedicated the rest of his career to giving personal financial advice.

In his best-selling book, he aims to break down the ‘hard truths’ about achieving financial freedom, as opposed to the get-rich-quick type of publications. In plain English, Tyson explains the main keys to financial success including dos and don’ts when it comes to financial decisions. He explores a number of important topics including saving, budgeting, credit scores and even global investing and cryptocurrencies.

Available in both paperback and other digital formats, this is a great read to help you get your finances on track.

Key specs – Publisher: For Dummies; Edition: ninth; Length: 496 pages; Other digital formats: Kindle

3. Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham: The best finance book for investing

Price: £14 | Buy now from Amazon

The Intelligent Investor is a ‘must read’ if the idea of investing in the stock market intrigues you. Ever since it was first published in 1949, it has been widely considered the ‘stock market bible’. The author Benjamin Graham, who was an influential investor and former professor, was famously known as the ‘father of value investing’ and looks at the philosophy involved in great detail.

As well as teaching the importance of risk management, he also advises readers on how to become intelligent investors and how to make informed decisions by ignoring market noise and instead, analysing stocks themselves, based on a company’s performance.

The book does have some outdated information in it – no surprise given it was written more than 70 years ago – but the latest edition has been updated to reflect modern financial market practices.

Key specs – Publisher: HarperBus; Edition: fourth; Length: 640 pages; Other digital formats: Kindle

4. The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel: The best alternative personal finance book

Price: £11 | Buy now from Amazon

Another great read about personal finances is Housel’s Psychology of Money, which, as the name suggests, looks at the psychology attached to money and how we should look at it in order to be financially successful. In his book, Housel argues that doing well with money has more to do with human behaviour rather than how much a person knows. The book explores 19 short stories on how people make financial decisions based on strange incentives, ego, pride and marketing and looks at the lessons that can be learned from them.

With over two million copies sold, the book has been very successful and this is largely down to the way that it has been written. It employs an easy-to-digest narrative that successfully demystifies financial concepts that are otherwise quite complex to grasp. The chapters are short, which helps keep readers interested, and it is filled with useful tips.

Key specs – Publisher: Harriman House; Edition: first; Length: 242 pages; Other digital formats: Kindle

5. Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez: Best finance book for millenials

Price: £12 | Buy now from Amazon

Recommended by self-made millennial millionaires, Your Money or Your Life is a great option for those wanting to achieve financial independence. The book has been considered a go-to for over 25 years, both for changing your relationship with money and taking control of your life. Author Vicki Robin, along with former Wall Street financial analyst, Joe Dominguez, explain the nine steps it takes to live more meaningfully while achieving financial freedom.

The book discusses modern topics, such as side hustles, freelancing and investing in index funds. It also explores how to save money and get out of debt, how to invest your savings, how to create good habits to help you save money, as well as many more crucial topics that will help you guide you towards financial success.

Key specs – Publisher: Hachette Go; Edition: Tenth; Length: 208 pages; Other digital formats: Kindle

6. Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat by David M Greene: The best finance book for property investing

Price: £20 | Buy now from Amazon

Investing in real estate (or property) is another interesting area of finance and has traditionally been considered as a secure investment. Before trying to jump on the property ladder though, or even climb up it further, it would be useful to give Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat a read.

The book is written by David M Green, an American ex-police officer who built his wealth by investing purely in real estate. Green went from buying two properties a year to two a month following an easy to follow plan, and is a nationally recognised authority on investing in real estate.

In his book, he writes about the BRRRR strategy which is what he used to grow his wealth significantly. In addition to this, the book will cover how to spot target properties that will be worth investing in, tips on negotiating and making offers and ways to increase the value of a property, which in turn will increase your net worth.

Although the book is written by an American author, the basic principles are equally applicable to the UK property market.

Key specs – Publisher: Biggerpockets Publishing, LLC; Edition: 23rd; Length: 192 pages; Other digital formats: Kindle