You don’t have to make a new year’s resolution to make an effort to improve your financial wellness this year. Fortunately, a plethora of books are available to help you budget, save and develop sustainable financial practices. Whether you are nearing retirement, under age 30 or at another financial milestone in between, these financial planning books can help you reach your goals. If you’re looking for more direct help, consider working with a financial advisor who can help create a financial plan, manage your assets and build your wealth.
Financial Planning Books for Teens
Over half the states in the U.S. have no standards for financial education for K-12 students. However, your teen can still get a solid foundation for handling money through these books:
1. How to Money: Your Ultimate Visual Guide to the Basics of Finance
Journalist Jean Chatzky and author Kathryn Tuggle of HerMoney.com penned this guide on the fundamentals of finance. Engaging and informative, this book is suitable for teenagers and adults. Younger readers might need help getting through all 256 pages but can dive into chapters that draw their interest.
2. Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens
Optimistic and entrepreneurial, this book contains advice from a self-made millionaire on building wealth. It clarifies complex topics, such as identifying profitable assets and becoming financially independent.
3. I Want More Pizza
With its universally appealing title and 108 short pages, this book is popular in schools. It teaches teens to set goals, save money, invest well and manage debt.
4. I Will Teach You to Be Rich
While author Ramit Sethi wrote this book for a broad audience, its witty yet straightforward tone will help teens grasp the basics of personal finance. However, its high-level language might be too challenging for a 12- or 13-year-old reader.
5. Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties
Although Beth Kobliner wrote this book for young professionals, its readability and robust store of information make it perfect for readers sixteen and up. Kobliner creates content for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and even made an appearance on Sesame Street to share about being wise with money.
6. Paying for College, 2023: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College
Every year, author Kalman Chany comes out with a new edition of this tome with the most updated advice about scholarships, student debt, tax regulations and financial aid. Teens (and parents) interested in college will benefit from this book.
7. Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Life Together
Because millennials often struggle with student debt, author Erin Lowry wrote this guide on how to keep student loans and credit cards from ruining your financial situation. It’s also an excellent resource for teens who want to educate themselves on personal finance and stay debt-free.
Financial Planning Books for Beginners and Young Adults
If you’re no longer a teen and want to get into financial planning, it’s never too late! No matter what stage of life you are in, you can progress toward financial literacy. Young professionals and retirees alike can optimize their finances with these books:
8. The Total Money Makeover
Dave Ramsey’s famous book gives you a financial overhaul. Whether you need to dig yourself out of debt or change your spending habits, this book’s direct tone and readability will help.
9. Think and Grow Rich
Napoleon Hill’s book takes a philosophical approach to money. This book highlights the importance of an upbeat mindset and contains true stories of financial success.
10. The Simple Path to Wealth
This book underscores index funds with low expenses as the way to become rich. Younger readers can easily grasp the language in this book to become investing experts.
11. The Psychology of Money
Filled with common-sense advice, this book targets beliefs and mindsets that don’t produce wealth. If you need a shift in perspective for approaching money, this book can revolutionize your thinking.
12. The Automatic Millionaire
David Bach’s book is for those who have mastered the fundamentals of finance and are ready to learn more. This book will help you save and invest to reach millionaire status.
13. The Millionaire Next Door
This book argues that being rich is less about displaying wealth and more about financial discipline. By dispelling misconceptions about millionaires, it shows that anyone can save a million dollars if they’re willing to spend less than they make. It concludes anyone can become a millionaire with the right financial habits.
14. The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, & Broke
Author and TV show host Suze Orman wrote this book primarily for women, but its thoroughness and readability make it a great guide for any reader. If you need help budgeting and achieving financial goals, this book is an excellent resource.
15. The Wealthy Barber
Written in the form of a novel, this book explains financial basics through a story about a group of friends receiving advice from a wealthy barber. If you need to organize your finances without getting bogged down with dense language, this book is for you.
16. The Richest Man in Babylon
This book is a series of stories told by a formerly penniless scribe who worked to accumulate more wealth than anyone in his city. You’ll learn how to trim your budget, save money and invest wisely.
17. Your Money Your Life
Vicki Robin’s book challenges readers to think about how their time relates to their money. Time is priceless, so spending it to make as much money as possible will allow you to do what matters most. If you want to achieve your goals, this book will coach you to financial freedom.
Financial Planning Books to Read Before Age 60
Retirement can be intimidating. Luckily, tons of resources are available that break down challenging concepts and provide a roadmap to being wealthy in your golden years.
18. How to Retire Happy
This book focuses on how health complications, economic downturns and changing regulations can change the affordability of retirement. In addition, you’ll learn strategies for tackling such challenging problems.
19. The Complete Cardinal Guide to Planning for and Living in Retirement
This book covers the financial and legal aspects of retiring, handling taxes and passing on wealth to the next generation.
20. How to Make Your Money Last
With medical care increasing lifespans in America, running out of money in retirement is an acute concern among many. This book teaches you how to leverage Social Security, home equity, retirement accounts and other assets to live comfortably and grow your wealth.
21. The 5 Years Before You Retire
This book is most useful for those with a five-year timeline until retirement. It provides a framework for effective financial planning for those retiring soon.
22. The New Rules of Retirement: Strategies for a Secure Future
This book teaches you how to keep your money safe, retain financial freedom and plan for healthcare expenses.
23. Retirement Income Planning: The Baby Boomers 2023 Guide
Updated every year, this income planning guide is excellent for people ten years or more from retirement. You’ll learn how to manage your money wisely and accomplish your goals by navigating types of investments and tax laws.
24. How to Retire with Enough Money: And How to Know What Enough Is
This book takes teaches effective savings strategies for any income level. As a result, you’ll learn how to save enough for retirement even if you don’t have a six-figure salary.
25. AgeProof: Living Longer Without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip
Staying healthy can reduce medical expenses during retirement, which Jean Chatzky and Michael Roizen spend an entire book discussing. The book also emphasizes that it’s never too late to start saving for retirement and teaches you how, even if you’re near retirement age.
26. The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read
This exhaustive book is excellent for beginners and advanced financial planners. It contains general financial concepts and details about each topic that allow you to grow financially regardless of your background.
27. The Truth About Retirement Plans and IRAs
As the title suggests, this book discusses how to optimize your 401(k) and IRAs. Tips on making contributions when money is tight and how to convert a 401(k) are just the tip of the iceberg in this informative, readable guide.
28. How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free
This book shares wisdom that allows you to live meaningfully in retirement without seeing money as a constraint. Instead, it teaches that true wealth comes from close relationships, achieving goals and staying healthy.
29. How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?
To answer the question, the book introduces five rules related to financial management. In addition, the book shows you how to invest creatively and avoid the pitfalls of conventional retirement planning.
30. The Financial Diet
This book provides expertise on an array of topics with input from various financial professionals. In addition, you’ll learn a rare skill most books don’t discuss: how to have conversations about money with loved ones.
31. The One-Week Budget
This book teaches financial practicality and can help you create a sustainable budget within one week. Although geared towards women, the principles are applicable to all financial scenarios.
32. Spend Well, Live Rich
This book shares seven financial proverbs to live by and is helpful for any stage in life, regardless of your financial situation.
The Bottom Line
The sheer amount of financial planning books make financial literacy more achievable than ever. No matter your life stage, knowledgeable authors and advisors have provided guidance on budgeting, saving, retiring and more. The books listed above will help you take your finances to the next level in 2023 whether you’re a novice or a financial enthusiast.
Tips for Financial Planning
- Reading a set of books can help your financial health and so can speaking with a financial advisor about your financial goals. A financial advisor can help manage your assets or help you develop the right long-term plan for retirement, college savings and more. If you don’t have a financial advisor, finding one doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- If you’re a do-it-yourself person, you can save money by filing taxes yourself. Follow this guide on how to do your own taxes at home.
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