We’re living in a hyper-customized era of personal finance where all kinds of tools and education can inform how we manage our money There’s no one model budget, investing plan, or way of tackling debt that works for everyone. That’s why when I’m looking to get new ideas about how to master my finances, I reach for books that make me think differently about money, rather than those that try to trot out their own idea of exactly what financial wellness looks like.
These 10 reads serve up a new money mindset that can inform whatever your personalized financial plan should be.
Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez
This book takes the unique approach of talking to you as if your money is (how novel) integrated into your entire life. Driven by a number of reflection-prompting questions, it allows you to draw a clear line between your finances and your values. That kind of alignment can lead to some powerful and productive behavioral changes when it comes to how we manage our money.
Ashley Feinstein Gerstley
This book keeps the overall well-being vibes going and draws on some of the freshest findings in behavioral psychology to give you new ways to think about how to create your own financial freedom. Grab a kale smoothie and settle in for a roadmap to wellness.
Amanda Steinberg
The CEO of mega finance site DailyWorth cuts right past the basics and reassures us that yes, we’re worth wealth, happiness, and financial stability. She doesn’t believe in beating ourselves up over budgets or cutting down to bare bones lifestyles so it makes her guidance come off as far more approachable and something we can actually put to work.
Suze Orman
Personal finance reads have come a long way over the past 10 years, but Suze Orman was one of the first women laying down book after book focused on giving women actionable tools and resources. Think of this a the 101 addition to your library that can be thumbed through when you need a little reminder of how things like retirement rollovers work.
Chris Smith
Chris Smith’s co-authors (a menagerie of millennials) chime in here, bringing to life a pretty straightforward plan for managing your finances across your investments, debt, and daily spending habits. While again, everyone’s financial blueprint will look a little different, if you’re just barely starting to think about how to put all the pieces together, this is a great place to begin.
Danielle Town, Phil Town
While this title is a tall sell, the co-host of InvestED has the chops to back it up. As the daughter of a major finance writer, she gets relatable quickly by telling us that much of investing used to make her eyes glaze over. Danielle also shares a few stories of her more active investing efforts, wisdom directed at those of us who feel like we already have a good grasp of the fundamentals.
Thomas Stanley, William Danko
Classics are classics for a reason. While the dollars and cents have inflated quite a bit since this hit the scene in 1996, its sentiments couldn’t be more relevant today. Thomas Stanley talks about ignoring the pressures of consumerism and how no one ever got rich keeping up with the Joneses. The story comes together in a way that makes you wonder if he had a crystal ball and could see straight into our highlight reel, Insta-obsessed future.
Erin Lowry
This book is the second in her “Broke Millennial” series, and it does an amazing job of speaking exactly to all of our 2019 investment vibes. How should I think about robo-advisors? What if I want to be sure my investments are socially responsible or have a specific impact? Should I invest while I still have student loans? If any of these questions are in your search history, get a much more thoughtful take on the answer from Erin.
Jean Chatzky
When you need a break from the more emotional aspects of financial introspection, Jean will give it to you straight. She lays out 90 cut-to-the-chase ways for you to think about improving your finances. Delivered as bite-sized bits of wisdom like, “You can fix any financial mistake by saving more,” followed with ways to put the idea in action, you’ll come a way with a few new perspectives for your own plan.
Conor Richardson
Conor Richardson is a CPA, and it’s refreshing to mix up your finance reads between big personalities and actually trained financial experts. Millennial Money is at its best if you are working through a debt repayment strategy and need ideas for how to stage student loan pay downs and other credit milestones throughout your financial plan.
