Personal Finance Books To Read In 2021

Forget most of what you’ve been told about building wealth. Financial expert Ramit Sethi makes it clear that — contrary to what you may have heard — you can spend money on iced coffee and candles and still get rich. And that’s just one of the many restrictive financial “rules” that he blasts in his book.

The book itself is a digestible, six-week plan for cleaning up your finances (and actually understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing!). Take it from someone who has actually read this book (and loved every page): you’ll want to keep a pen and sticky notes handy. You’ll be furiously taking notes while you read because Sethi’s points and strategies are practical enough to implement right freakin’ now.

And even if you don’t follow a shred of advice in this book, then at the very least, you’ll walk away with a new perspective on spending, saving, and paying down debt.

We make choices every single day — hell, you made the choice to log onto your computer, go online, and read this article right now! And the decisions we make have a huge impact on our wellness and how we spend and save money.

Just think: better finances could be a few good choices away! This book gives you a better idea of what goes on behind the scenes in your brain when it comes to making decisions. It’s like a manual for all the times you wish you had done things differently.

Robert Kiyosaki’s book has been around for a hot minute — *cough* 20 years! *cough*. So chances are, you might’ve already heard of this title, but let’s break it down anyway. Kiyosaki describes his own personal experience of how his father and his best friend’s father (aka, the rich dad) shaped his perspective on money.

FYI, the book has been updated throughout the years, but if there’s one moral that has withstood the test of an evolving society, it’s that you don’t need to have a high salary to be rich.

Getting your own finances in order is sometimes hard enough. Add another person to the mix and it may feel even more stressful and almost impossible. Or, maybe you each have your own way of dealing with money but you disagree with the other’s approach.

Sorting out your finances as a couple is no walk in the park. That’s why David Bach put together this holy grail of tips and strategies for making your money decisions as a couple feel easier. Think credit card management, planning for retirement, and even investment advice. Share a copy with your S.O., or get them one they can have all to themselves!

The word “investing” might send shivers down your spine, but fear not; putting your money into the market doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds! John C. Bogle is the founder of Vanguard (yes, the investment management company), and the author of this 300-page gem that aims to help you cut through the noise of market hype — so you can find the investments that may help you reach your financial goals.

Vicki Robin’s book is actually a ~New York Times Bestseller~ and once you crack it open, you’ll understand why. Similar to I Will Teach You To Be Rich, this book outlines a nine-step program to help give your finances a total money makeover. It also emphasizes mindful spending and will teach you how to build a fruitful life with less (do we have any financial minimalists here?). And best of all, you don’t have to walk in already knowing a ton about money management!

When you’re in your twenties and thirties, you’re probably at the lower end of your earning potential, battling debt, and maybe haven’t started thinking about retirement yet. And the fact that sooo many personal finance books out there feel like they’re aimed at debt-free six-figure earners doesn’t help.

That’s where this book comes in. It’ll teach you how to create a budget, pay down debt (including student loan debt!!!), build an emergency fund, and make attainable, smart investments. Think of this book as a fun uncle who can’t turn back time to improve his finances in his twenties, but he can give you that advice so you don’t make the same mistakes he did.

It feels as if the world of personal finance is a black hole of so much to learn — how could anyone possibly understand it all!?!? Co-author Harold Pollack kinda disagrees. He believes that the most important aspects of finance can be summarized in just 10 points — and they all fit on an index card. In this book, Pollack and Olen provide a concise plan for helping you better understand finance and give your money management skills a boost. Consider it your ultimate beginner’s cheat sheet to the world of personal finance.

When you think of a millionaire, you probably picture someone who lives in a huge house with a private pool and a closet full of designer clothing. But the truth is that there are many millionaires right under your nose — you just wouldn’t expect it because they aren’t as flamboyant as you’d expect. This book spells out the recurring traits of everyday millionaires. It might change your perspective on the way people accumulate wealth.

We’ve heard it over and over, and over again: Millennials are the brokest generation. It’s hard to ignore those headlines when it really does feel like almost everyone you know is drowning in debt, delaying homeownership, and living off of instant noodles and mac and cheese. But just because everyone says you’re broke doesn’t mean you have to actually be broke. This book by Erin Lowry will teach you how to get out of a financial rut and master your money (so you can really stick it to the uncle who loves to remind you that “when he was your age,” he already owned a house).

The book even outlines ways to navigate tricky, real-life financial scenarios that 100% are bound to come up — like what to do when you’re out at dinner and can’t afford to split the bill evenly, or how to ask your partner how much debt they have.

It’s safe to say that we all wish we had learned more about money when we were in high school. Teens of today, now’s your chance!! This book gives you the foundation you need to start building solid finances even before you head off to college. You’ll learn how to manage a credit card and savings account, think about college from a financial perspective, control your spending, and more.

Some personal finance books are just plain dry, but this one is bound to keep you engaged from page one (I know I certainly was). The Financial Diet was actually the first personal finance book I read straight out of college. And I admit that at the time, I wasn’t totally into money management but I got sucked in by the cute cover. However, the credit card management principles I learned, among others, and the unique set of tips from the personal experiences of the author made this book one that I would definitely revisit — even just for fun.

The author, Andrew Hallam, became a millionaire as a high school English teacher(!!!). His book about financial literacy might change your perspective on who becomes rich — because, as Hallam shows us, you don’t need to be a Wall Street guru to invest wisely and build your wealth.

Rachel Richards is an investor and financial advisor who gives you access to her wealth management knowledge right here in this book. Think answers to the most commonly-asked financial questions, Richards’s four golden rules for investing, a four-bucket savings strategy, and more.

If you swear you’ve heard of Clever Girl Finance before, you’re not wrong! It’s the popular finance website created by Bola Sokunbi. But now she’s taking it a step forward in print. Sokunbi’s book empowers women to get out of debt, take charge of their financial life, and build their wealth. You’ll learn the usual basics like budgeting, saving, and the importance of investing. But, you’ll also learn how to maximize a small salary, and you’ll hear the stories of real-life women who have been where you are and transformed their financial lives.

If you had a quarter for every time you heard, “I wish they taught this in school,” you’d probably have enough money to pay someone to watch TikTok videos for you. Siegel wrote this book on the premise that there’s a ton about personal finance that doesn’t get taught in schools — even though it’s one of the most important topics that’ll carry us throughout our lives. And, the book is overall more approachable than most other finance books out there — it features just eight super digestible lessons you can breeze right through and still have time to get your TikTok fix.