17 Best Personal Finance Books to Read

Here are the best personal finance books to jumpstart your financial freedom.

Emphasizing the Personal

Best Personal Finance Books to Read Right Now

There are plenty of books on personal finance. From books on how to trade stocks to how to save for retirement, the choices can be staggering. It could take months of reading dozens of books that don't pertain to you to find one that resonates. How do you know which books will help you?

Personal finance should be just that, personal. People want and need books that will help them build upon or improve their financial positions. If you spend all your money and time reading books that won't help you, how are you actually saving for the future?

That's why we've compiled a list of books that emphasize the personal and cover a range of topics, from raising financially smart kids to pulling yourself out of debt to early retirement. This list will not only narrow down your to-read list, it will also help you get on your road to financial freedom.

'Unshakable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook' By: Tony Robbins

A concise companion volume to Robbins's "Money: Master the Game" (which is almost 700 pages long), "Unshakable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook" is a great read for those of us who have little time to devote to reading and learning about finance. This book will provide you with essential knowledge: who the players are, what their agendas are, what the pitfalls are, how to avoid them, and how to win. After all, as Robbins points out, being unshakable is not just about having money: It's a state of mind. A small but mighty book, pumped full of info, "Unshakable" provides you with the knowledge to improve any financial position. And because of its length (just 257 pages), you won't get bogged down with too much information. Instead, you will come away inspired and ready to take control of your finances.

'Make Your Kid A Money Genius (Even If You’re Not): A Parents’ Guide For Kids' By: Beth Kobliner

Do you have kids? Do you want them to have all the financial advantages that you didn't? Try Kobliner's guide geared toward those who want to set their children up with the kind of financial knowledge that will prepare them for their future.

A quick and fun read, the guide is literally broken down into steps on how to talk to your youngsters about money. From age-appropriate conversations to setting clear savings goals, this book will help you teach your kids about financial independence. Bonus: the book has tips for adults, too.

'How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide' By: Jane Bryant Quinn

Who doesn't think about retirement? When we're young, we imagine ourselves on sandy beaches enjoying our golden years while watching our grandkids grow. However, as we age, these images are replaced with fears of never getting to retire, let alone retire on a beach somewhere with no worries other than what SPF sunscreen to wear.

"How To Make Your Money Last" is a great choice for those of us whose retirement still feels like a long way off, but old enough to understand that saving today means a better tomorrow.

'I Will Teach You to be Rich' By Ramit Sethi

Remember, you don't have to be a financial expert to start managing your money. "I Will Teach You to Be Rich" is a solid beginner's guide to all things personal finance and investing.

If you're ready to stop with the excuses and realize that your financial future rests in your hands, this is the book for you. Sethi writes the essential book for millennials, those of us who are ambitious but are unsure how to begin. As he states in his first lesson, getting started is more important than being the smartest person around. When you're ready to take action, Sethi sets you up with a 6-week plan, so you can start saving for your future today.

'Investing 101: From Stocks And Bonds To ETFs And IPOs, An Essential Primer On Building A Profitable Portfolio' By Michele Cagan

Are you completely new to investing? If so, this is the book for you. Cagan's "Investing 101" is a crash course in all you need to know about investing right now. Even if you've been at the game for a few years, it never hurts to get a refresher. Best of all, this book doesn't just focus on what stocks to invest in. It also delivers great information about bonds, ETFs, and IPOs. Not sure what those are? This is probably the book you want to start with.

'The Truth About Your Future: The Money Guide You Need Now, Later, and Much Later' By: Ric Edelman

Edelman's book made the list, but don't expect it to be like the others. Edelman tackles many ideas and issues, starting with technology and how it will affect our future retirement regarding age, income, and health. Did you know that it's estimated that by 2025, 40 percent of the current Fortune 500 companies will no longer be around? It's true that technology evolves in almost the blink of an eye. Don't get left behind. Pick up a copy of "The Truth About Your Future" to keep ahead of the times.

'The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich' By: David Bach

This book is for those of us who are beginners to personal finance. Well, let’s say beginner to intermediate. Ignore the buzz words and focus on the "automatic." No, Bach doesn't promise you'll automatically be a millionaire after reading this book. Rather, it's the practice of participating in automatic money savings that will put you on that path. He stresses the importance of automating all of one's bills so that you don't miss the money being diverted into savings and retirement accounts. You can't miss what you never had! Read this book if you're looking for an easy read on how to get started saving today.

'How To Retire With Enough Money: And How To Know What Enough Is' By Teresa Ghilarducci

How will you know how much is enough to retire on? While those of us with some financial background won't find anything new in this book, Ghilarducci offers clear and easy-to-read practical information about how to avoid debt, get more out of your 401k, and avoid potential financial downfalls. Written with those who are conservative and sensible in mind, "How to Retire with Enough Money" won't take long to read and may help you change your spending habits.

'Pogue’s Basics: Money: Essential Tips and Shortcuts (That No One Bothers to Tell You) About Beating the System' By David Pogue

Pogue's Basics series has helped people with everything from computers to deciphering road signs in foreign languages. His money book is just as helpful because it focuses on how to rely on information to save money in all aspects of your life. From saving money on gift cards to hotels, this book is full of tips based on awareness of the psychology behind marketing. After reading this, you won't be duped into changing your car's oil every 3,000 miles ever again.

'The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets Of America’s Wealthy' By Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko

Have you ever wondered who the rich are? Have you ever wondered how they got rich, how you, too, can get rich? If so, this is the book for you.

You may be surprised to learn that people who earn a lot of money are not always wealthy. The authors explore how people can have the appearance of wealth but, in fact, are drowning in debt. So, who are the wealthy? According to the authors, the real rich people are those who are careful with their money and those who save.

'Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend' By Jonathan K. Deyoe

DeYoe incorporates Buddhism into his financial advice, and this shows through in his book. Taking the Buddhist approach of facing things head on, DeYoe teaches us the middle path of finance. Yes, his writing is geared toward those with a more open mind about spirituality, but anyone interest in personal finance will get a lot out of this book.

DeYoe dispels our money illusions, simplifies strategies and goals, and encourages readers to define their money priorities and accept the limitations of their work and savings. DeYoe stresses meaning through relationship and gratitude while showing you how to work towards those clear goals rather than wasting money on material objects.

'The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to be Complicated' By Helaine Olen & Harold Pollack

Olen and Pollack offer clear, easy-to-read-and-digest information on savings and finance. They stress paying off credit card debt before you prioritize savings, as well as other practical money advice.

With such straightforward advice, written in easy-to-understand language, anyone can follow the authors' guidance and smoothly incorporate it into their daily lives.

'The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money' By Ron Lieber

It's no secret that kids are curious about money. Lieber examines how parents who talk to kids about money are setting them up to be good savers, responsible spenders, and perhaps even better off financially (than themselves).

With advice for kids aged very young to those about to hit college, this book shows that it's not too late to begin talking to your kids about money. Avoid raising a spoiled child. Read the book, talk to your kids, start a savings account in their name, and keep the conversation open.

'Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century' By Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

If you've ever thought that money doesn't matter to you, and therefore you shouldn't worry about finances, this is the book for you. Probably even more helpful today than when "Your Money or Your Life" was first published, this is a book of financial advice that everyone will want to read. Just ignore the banal and corny wording that creeps in at times.

'The 100 Best Stocks To Buy In 2017' By Peter Sander & Scott Bobo

If you're a stock picker, this may be the book for you. Even though we're halfway through 2017, there is still time for smart investors to profit. You'll learn how to protect your money by picking stocks that have beaten the S&P (Standards and Poor) stock market index. You'll also read about the author's philosophy on investing while learning how to find stocks that consistently pay dividends.

'Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties' By Beth Kobliner

If those of us who are labeled millennials aren't aware of our economic crisis, then I don't know who is. With record levels of student loan debt, astronomical rents, and a future that is wracked with uncertainty, who can blame people for freaking out a bit over their future money situation?

Enter Kobliner, whose bestseller is like a bible for people in their 20s and 30s. The revised version includes tips and insights to financial habits that reflect today's economic climate.

'What Your Financial Advisor Isn’t Telling You: The 10 Essential Truths You Need to Know About Your Money' By Liz Davidson

Learn all about financial advisors, how to choose one, what they do, how to avoid their pitfalls, and other enlightening tidbits. Davidson also offers practical, easy-to-follow financial advice, making this a great book for recent grads, as well as those of us in our later years.

As you journey on your road to personal financial freedom, your choices shape your future, which is something that all of the books on this list stress. What books have you found to help you realize your financial goals?