The Top Rated Personal Finance Books

The power of books is undeniable.

In fact, most successful people are avid readers.

If you’re looking to manage your finances in an intelligent way, you’re probably looking for a list of the Top Rated Personal Finance books.

This article will provide you with a list of the very best.

Elon Musk, when asked how he learned the skills he repeatedly displays, gives a clear answer: ‘’I read books”.

The most famous investor of all, Warren Buffet, famously said :

“Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it”.

So if you’re planning on making a change in your life,  you need to start by investing in yourself.

And picking up a book just might be your best option.

So, which one should you choose?

You might not have hours to spend researching the web in search of the holy grail, but hey relax, I’ve done the work, here’s how.

The book selection process

The idea is to simplify your decision making process and help you go straight to the very best books on each subject, taking into account content quality, quantity of reviews and average ratings.

Here’s the process:

1. I select the books on Amazon that are relevant to the topic
2. I then eliminate those with reviews below 4 stars or low numbers of reviews (such as all the cheap of free e-books)
3. The list is cross-referenced with other leading websites for the books they reference under this subject (goodreads.com, businessinsider.com, cnbc.com, inc.com,…)
4. I establish the shortlist, read the books and write an independent review taking into account book content, site reviews and above all user reviews

So, here is the list of outstanding top Personal Finance books.

They consistently come out on top of all recommendations, short lists, billionaires must-read lists.

In short, a list of the Books that could Make you Rich. If you’re interested, you can also read my list of Top 10 Books on Real Estate Investing.

Rich Dad Poor Dad

by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki has written one of the most successful books ever on making money and adopting a totally new mindset towards wealth.

It has been an absolute bestseller for years.

The story Robert Kiyosaki tells us revolves around what he calls his two dads: his actual father that he calls his ‘’poor dad’’ and the father of his best friend whom he calls his ‘’rich dad’’, two opposing figures with radically different approaches to life and money.

This book will teach you how to distinguish your assets from your liabilities, and challenge the assumption that earning a high salary is the best way to get rich.

The best use of your money (and time) is to start buying property or launching a business.

As parents, this book also tells us to forget about relying on the education system to teach our children about money.

It gives fascinating insights on how we should really educate our kids for their future wealth.

This book is an absolute classic, it is listed in all top rankings on personal finance and Robert Kiyosaki is considered to be one the most authoritative writers around educating future millionaires.

Rich Dad poor Dad has changed the lives of millions of people, could it change yours?

Quote from the book :

‘’Rule One. You must know the difference between an asset and a liability, and buy assets.”

Robert Kiyosaki also has other great books that you can check out, one of my favorites is the CashFlow Quadrant or his Guide to Investing.

His Rich Dad Channel is also another great resource you can check out :

The Millionaire Fastlane

Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime by M.J. de Marco.

M.J. de Marco teaches us some extremely powerful lessons about the way we plan our life financially.

Basically, it’s up to you.

If you want to work hard, earn a salary, set 10% aside and retire at 65, there’s a good chance you won’t be fit enough to enjoy life once you have enough money set aside, and that’s the Slowlane.

The whole idea behind the Millionaire Fastlane is to change the bracket and not “settle for less”.

Use the financial markets in a smart way to get rich quickly and enjoy life while you’re young. Hit the Fastlane and get going!

Quotes from the book:

‘’I spent five years in college just to sit in a 6 X 6 cubicle and cold-call elderly people out of a damn telephone book? Are you freaking kidding me? I could have done this out of middle school, and I didn’t need to spend thousands on a college”. “Opportunity drives through your neighborhood frequently, and when it does, you have to grab that bitch. Evaluate”

If you want to take things further, you can check out his “Unscripted” guide to Entrepreneurship, which is also available as an audiobook :

The Intelligent Investor

The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham

This book is an absolute classic. 

If you only ever read one book about investing, this should be the one.

Published in 1949, it has sold more than a million copies.

It’s a collection of unparalleled wisdom principles for any kind of value investor that’s in there for the long run.

This is the book Warren Buffet calls the greatest investment book of all times.

As the father of value investing, Benjamin Graham has become to be known as one of the most influential investment theorists of the 20th century.

Is it necessary to say any more? If you are serious about investing in stocks, that’s you starting point.

Quote from the book:

“The Intelligent Investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists”

There’s an audiobook version of that incredible book, which could provide an easier approach :

Otherwise, here are Warren Buffett’s three favorite books :

The Science of Getting Rich

by Wallace D. Wattles

This book tackles your mindset and approach to wealth. 

According to the author, the way you think about money will define your ability to create wealth.

If you see money as a form of evil, there will be a psychological process in you that will prevent you from getting wealthy.

Wallace D. Wattles introduces us to the power of positive thinking.

He gives us some basic “laws of attraction” when it comes to wealth creation.

He also delivers some techniques for reaching to our deeper self and unlocking some powerful mechanisms.

Here’s a quote from the book:

“A person’s right to life means his right to have the free and unrestricted use of all the things which may be necessary to his fullest mental, spiritual, and physical unfolding—in other words, his right to be rich.”

The Richest Man In Babylon

by George S. Clason

George Samuel Clason first published this book in 1926.

It has since become a classic of the personal finance literature.

The title of the book takes its inspiration from tales of the ancient city of Babylon.

It features two central characters (Bansir and Kobbi), a chariot builder and a musician, who seek out advice from their childhood friend Arkad, a man that had built considerable wealth.

Each pamphlet tells us a series of valuable lessons in wealth building:

Pay yourself first, put your money at work, live below your means, get insured, be careful with rent or mortgage, plan for retirement, invest in yourself and measure your finances. 

These are the main lessons from this invaluable book.

Quote from the book:

‘’A part of all I earn is mine to keep.’ Say it in the morning when you first arise. Say it at noon. Say it at night. Say it each hour of every day. Say it to yourself until the words stand out like letters of fire across the sky.”

The Millionaire Next Door

The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy By Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko

Stanley & Danko have taken a good look at common features among extremely wealthy and successful individuals.

They have come up with 7 recurring traits.

The book tells us about these characteristics and how they have influenced these rich individuals.

It is very well researched, it gathers valuable info from over 20 years of interviews and surveys among households with net worth of $1m or higher.

A lot of data has been analyzed, giving an objective and unbiased view of the common characteristics behind wealth creation.

You will get valuable advice on ways to grow your net worth well above your income level.

This bestseller has changed many people’s lives and helped them grow their net worth.

Quote from the book:

‘’Multiply your age times your realized pretax annual household income from all sources except inheritances. Divide by ten. This, less any inherited wealth, is what your net worth should be.”

The Total Money Makeover

A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey is a celebrity in the personal finance sphere. He broadcasts an extremely famous radio show and has millions of followers.

The books goes through a number of success stories that are grounded on the principles advocated by Dave Ramsey.

First, he exposes the dangers behind some of the most common money myths : building debt, living on credit, renting to own.

The book goes into some very down to earth, no nonsense and practical steps that you need to take if you want to turn things over.

And guess what, it works! I’m not saying it, just read the comments and thousands of outstanding reviews this book is getting.

Quote from the book:

‘’Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. What to do isn’t the problem; doing it is. Most of us know what to do, but we just don’t do it. If I can control the guy in the mirror, I can be skinny and rich.”

Dave Ramsey also authored a Complete Guide to Money :

The Money Guide for the Young, Fabulous & Broke

by Suze Orman

Usually personal finance books are targeted at middle aged people looking to find freedom in passive income and security ahead of retirement.

This books is different.

It speaks to the young and broke, and teaches valuable lessons when it comes to dealing with student loans or a tough job market.

Suze Orman’s goal is to help the young people who have been called “Generation debt” or “Generation broke” by giving concrete steps and tips to navigate the financial world.

If you’re a recent grad and have no idea how to manage your debt or where you should invest for the future, this book’s for you.

Quote from the book:

”You need face time, not computer time. When you’re in a tough job market, it’s the personal touch that gets you the job.”

I recommend also listening to Suze Orman’s podcast, with very interesting takes on finance related subjects :

http://www.suzeorman.com/podcast

And Suze Orman has now written an extremely successful retirement guide for 50+.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker

Eker’s fascinating book delves into what he calls our personal money blueprint.

This blueprint, ingrained in us at childhood, is part of our subconscious mind, and defines most of our behaviors and attitudes towards money.

According to Eker, that will explain why some people have an easy path to wealth while others are going to struggle through their entire life.

The book has two parts :

The first will explain how our money blueprint works.

The second will deliver seventeen “wealth files” describing how wealthy people reflect and take action in different ways than most people.

Each wealth file represents a kind of how-to guide that will help you redefine your money blueprint.

Here’s a quote from the book:

“Give me five minutes, and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life!”

Think and Grow Rich

by Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill has probably written the most successful, widely reviewed, authoritative book around wealth creation.

It is truly astounding that the original version of this book dates back to 1937.

To this day, it remains the single most often cited title in the personal finance literature.

Napoleon Hill dedicated a good part of his life defining the basic Laws of wealth creation, and his teachings have influenced literally millions of people.

He draws on the lives of well known millionaires such as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and explains the secrets behind their outstanding successes.

This book actually teaches you tried and tested techniques to get rich, covering not only what you need to do but also how you should do it.

There is a whole philosophy behind this book…

Telling us that material wealth is central to achieving a form of freedom, but that lasting and loving relationships, friendships, can be just as essential.

Many people have claimed that this book changed their lives, get ready!

Quote from the book:

“Remember, too, that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive”. The turning point in the lives of those who succeed usually comes at some moment of crisis, through which they are introduced to their “other selves”.”

The Original version of the book has now been restored and revised.

The Index Card

Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated, by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack

The story behind this book is that everything you need to know about money management can fit on an index card.

Harold Pollack challenged himself to create such an index card, did it and posted it online, it went tremendously viral.

In this book, Pollack elaborates on the ten simple rules that are on this index card with the award winning financial journalist Helaine Olen.

And here are the ten rules from Harold Pollack’s index card:

1- strive to save 10-20% of your pretax income
2- pay your credit card balance in full every month
3- max out tax savings account
4- never buy or sell individuals stocks
5- buy inexpensive, well- diversified index mutual funds and exchange traded funds
6- make your financial adviser commit to the fiduciary standard
7- buy a house when you are ready
8- insurance- make sure you are protected
9- do what you can to support the social safety network

10- Last rule : Remember the index cards

Here’s a summary of everything you should remember, by Robert Pollack, co-author :

How Rich People Think

by Steve Siebold

This book explores the mindset of rich people, it is the fruit of hundreds of interviews of millionaires and billionaires.

Steve Siebold compares the way middle class people conduct their lives with the habits and thinking mechanisms of extremely wealthy individuals.

He comes out with clear patterns and recommendations.

The book is written in a very direct style, leaving mild statements and politically correct on the sideline to deliver clear crisp and hard punch messages.

It is brutally honest, and the many millionaires that shared some of their secrets with Steve Siebold did so without sugar coating te content.

Quote from the book:

“The truth is you have to have great ideas that solve problems to make money. If you do, you will attract money like a magnet.”

The Automatic Millionaire

A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich by David Bach

The Automatic Millionaire was originally released in 2004 and has been a runaway success ever since.

It is one of the most popular personal finance books ever written.

The book spent months at the top of numerous bestsellers lists (New York Times, USA Today, Businessweek) and has sold over 1.5 million copies.

Its power resides in David Bach’s concrete demonstration of how an average American family earning a yearly income of $55,000 can end up owning two fully paid homes, have kids in college and retire at the age of 55 with savings of at least $1 million.

The author gives us a realistic system and claims that we don’t even need a budget, willpower, a high income or even to be interested in money.

On top of that he claims the plan can be up in running in less than an hour.

Set the plan up, and let it run on Autopilot. Now that’s what you call a recipe for success!

The book has several updated versions, make sure you get the latest.

Quote from David Bach:

“I’ve seen how these simple ideas can change people’s lives. Indeed, thousands of you have written to me to share the successes you are now enjoying as a result of using the tools this book provides.”

Rich Habits

The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals by Thomas C. Corley

Thomas Corley spent years researching the habits of wealthy individuals and came out with ten simple principles you can apply in your daily life.

These habits have transformed the lives of thousands of individuals who have come in contact with them.

This financial success program is an easy read that enjoys very positive reviews all around.

Regardless your age, diplomas or income level, it will provide you with numerous improvement tips.

If you’re looking for a simple book that you can read in a few hours or days, look no further.

Quote from the book:

“Only about five percent of the population of the United States realizes true financial success. What traits do they possess that make them successful? Few ever find out.”

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns by John C. Bogle

Investing is one the best possible ways to get rich, and this book specifically looks at how you can use index funds to devise a safe and solid investing strategy.

Warren Buffet once recommended this book from John Bogle, the legendary founder of the Vanguard Group, the world’s first index mutual fund.

This book is a quick read a provides simple and efficient strategies anyone can apply.

Make index fund investing work for you and spend a few hours reading this short book, you will never regret it.

Quotes from the book:

“Don’t look for the needle in the haystack, just buy the haystack!” “The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.” “Stick to the good plan. Traditional”

The Behavior Gap

Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money by Carl Richards

The behavior Gap is all about the little things we do wrong and that get in the way of achieving greater wealth or success.

Carl Richards is a financial planner and he takes us through all of the silly things we do over and over again when it comes to money: spending money we don’t have, buying stocks when markets peak, …

The book has a humoristic tone and is a very pleasant read, the author obviously goes into the steps we can take to prevent these mistakes from repeating themselves.

It has very interesting insights on our psychology and the mechanisms behind the decisions we take.

Carl Richards writes regular articles in the New york times and this book summarizes some of his most simple yet powerful pieces of financial advice.

Quote from the book:

“It’s not that we’re dumb. We’re wired to avoid pain and pursue pleasure and security. It feels right to sell when everyone around us is scared and buy when everyone feels great. It may feel right-but it’s not rational.”

The Power of Broke

How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John and Daniel Paisner

Daymond John is one of the stars on Shark Tank and a New York Times bestseller.

He is also the founder of Fubu, and in this book he contends that launching a startup with extremely limited means can actually give an entrepreneur his greatest chance for success.

The main reason is that these limited means will generate innovation and urgency.

His own story is an inspiration, he started his venture with $40 and it is today a $6 billion brand.

One thing is sure, Daymond John knows what he’s talking about and this book is an amazing read.

Quote from the book:

“It’s gotten to where an entire nation can be energized by the force of a single idea put out into the world in a passionate way through social media—at little or no cost.”

I Will Teach You to Be Rich

by Ramit Sethi

In this book, Ramit Sethi has devised a 6-week personal finance program for young people ready to commit time and effort in the pursuit of greater wealth.

The approach is totally practical, and revolves around the four buildings blocks of personal finance: saving, budgeting, banking and investing.

Ramit Sethi also has a huge following on his website:

 Iwillteachyoutoberich.com

… where he develops a full program for people looking for financial freedom.

Grab your copy of this book from this rising star in the personal finance world.

Quote from the book:

“It’s more important to get started than to spend an exhaustive amount of time researching”

Unshakeable

Your Financial Freedom Playbook by Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins is the world’s most famous life and finance coach and a New York Times bestselling author.

This book will give you a clear roadmap to success, taking you every step of the way on a journey that is going to rock your financial life.

It is full with tools, tips, tricks and strategies to achieve financial freedom, taking its inspiration from the world’s top investors.

You will learn how to protect your family and get maximum profit from potential crises. This book needs to be high on your list.

Quote from the book:

‘’I can tell you the secret to happiness in one word: progress”

Business Adventures

Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street by John Brooks

This book is another New York Times bestseller and it has been endorsed by some of the world’s prominent billionaires Bill Gates or Warren Buffet.

Bill Gates even said:

‘’Business Adventures remains the best business book I’ve ever read’’.

It was first published in 1969 but to this day it remains one of the most recommended books around.

The book tells gripping business stories around major corporate events that took place in or about Wall Street.

Examples are the rise of Xerox, the phenomenal market crash of 1962 or the attempt by bankers in America to salvage the British Pound.

It is researched, detailed and goes to the root of some amazing business events that took place in America, and we all know how history repeats itself.

Quote from the book: ‘’Expectation of an event creates a much deeper impression that the event itself’’

Tools of Titans

The Tactics, Routines and Habits of Billionaires, icons and world-class performers by Timothy Ferriss

Tim Ferriss’ latest book after his famous 4-hour Workweek researches the habits and tactics of titans of our time (hedge fund managers, pro athletes, celebrities,…).

If you want to be a billionaire, you might be interested in the daily routines that have made so many of them successful.

The author interviewed more than 200 of them and comes out with myriads of tips that go far beyond pure financial management.

Quote from the book: “The most important trick to be happy is to realize that happiness is a choice that you make and a skill that you develop. You choose to be happy, and then you work at it. It’s just like building muscles.”

Well, that’s it for the Top Rated Personal Finance books.

So now, tell us what your own personal favorite book is ?

I’d love to know, so leave me a quick tip on the books you recommend.

I hope this review will be helpful. If you want to thank me, buy me a coffee 😉

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