Reading without a doubt changed my life…

And the list of the best personal finance books below have changed millions of other people’s lives as well.

My football coach in college told me that the smartest people in the world read at least 1 book per month. At the time (of course I was drowning in school work), I thought that was crazy. Who has time to read?

Well, it isn’t about having time. It is about making time… And it is well worth the effort.

It wasn’t until I was 24 and given some books by my boss as my first assignment that I really caught the book bug. From there, I didn’t look back. Over the next 2 years I consumed 2 books per week via audio, Kindle and print. That was the turning point in 1) changing my mindset, and 2) really opening my eyes to what was possible – financially and beyond.

The reason books are so great because you get access into the stories behind the story. You get to see how the most successful and wealthy people in history think and act. You get this access all for very cheap, if not free.

When you talk about a great investment, books have to be at the top of the list!

I asked a bunch of experts what the best personal finance books are, and here are their responses:

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Think and Grow Rich (2 Votes)

“The key lesson is that the world is filled with abundance and opportunity for those who control their thoughts and emotions and turn them into positive actions.” – Kevin Cahill CFP, CLU, President and Founder of Canadian Legacy Builder

“It is a brilliant book, but the underlying theme is if you visualize it and work hard for it you can have it.” – Blake Janover, CEO of Trusted Nutrients

Simple Wealth, Inevitable Wealth

“His strongest points are:

• Owning a diversified portfolio of equities over the long-term does not carry significant risk of capital loss.  The diversified portfolio of equities is subject to volatility, but volatility passes away under long-term time horizons and should not be conflated with risk.
• Building wealth through the steady accumulation of equity mutual funds is simple, and the result of this behavior, over a lifetime, is inevitable wealth.
• Bonds will not build wealth.

In fact, here’s a list of some of the best, with my reviews linked.  – Michael Taylor, Bankers-Anonymous.com

 The Giving Tree

“The classic children’s book, The Giving Tree, has taught me a lot about personal finances. Like the titular tree, it’s entirely possible for a parent to give too much, to overextend themselves and jeopardize their own future for someone else, and this is something I see all the time in my work.

I always advise parents, just as airlines tell you to make sure you secure your own oxygen mask before you help someone else, make sure that your finances are taken care of before you start worrying about others. If you don’t take responsibility for your own finances, no one else will– a child can subsidize their higher education, for example, but you can never subsidize your retirement. Always make sure your own financial health is your number one priority.” – Elle Kaplan, CEO and Founding Partner of LexION Capital

Make Money, Live Wealthy

The beautiful thing is that when you write your own blog, you put your own book on the list! Coming this November is my first book: Make Money, Live Wealthy. 🙂

After interviewing 75 successful entrepreneurs, I realized that although the details of their stories are much different, they all go through the same sequential steps to obtaining true wealth. So, this book guides people through the 10 simple steps to true wealth, one piece at a time. Get your free copy today before it is too late!  [Read more…]