We all need to start somewhere. There's no shame in admitting you don't know something, especially when you are just starting out. In fact, that shows you don't have an ego and are willing to learn. If you are looking to learn about personal finance or investing, our Instagram page, blogs and newsletters are great places to start. For more in depth knowledge, there's plenty of books out there on investing. Here are the seven books we think every new investor should read. With a bonus at the end.
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
Warren Buffett calls The Intelligent Investor the best book on investing ever written. I don't know about you, but if one of the best investors of all time gives the book high praise, it has to worth the read. And it definitely is. Benjamin Graham outlines the framework to value investing and what it means to be an "intelligent" investor. It boils down to patience, discipline, eagerness to learn and controlling emotions. He breaks down every aspect of investing, how these traits need to be applied and how anyone can master Mr. Market (reference in the book, chapter 8). This book is a must read.
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
John C. Bogle is the founder of the Vanguard Group and inventor of the index fund. In this book, he outlines why index funds are the best investment for long term investors. Index funds beat active investors over the long run, they require little to no effort on the investors end, and the fees are extremely low when compared to other investment funds. John Bogle changed the game and made it super simple to get into the market. This book is perfect for the new investor; it's hard to pick the winners, just buy the whole market and you're guaranteed to win.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
In this book, Robert Kiyosaki outlines how his real father (the poor dad) and his best friends father (the rich dad) shaped his thoughts about money and investing. It is an interesting concept that allows you to see the differences between rich and poor mentality, as seen through Robert's eyes growing up. Some lessons learned include: assets vs. liabilities, salary vs. passive income, safety vs. managed risk, and employees vs. employers. The book really dives into the basics of financial literacy and gives an insight into why the rich stay rich.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
This book is a collection of parables that discuss the principles of finance and money management. George Clason cleverly incorporates Babylon, once known to be the richest city in the world. Using characters, the book outlines seven wealth building lessons as told by the richest man in Babylon. The book was written in 1926 and the lessons are still valuable to this day; pay yourself first, live below your means, make your money work for you, insure against loss, have a retirement plan and invest in yourself.
I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi
I first came across this book after watching one of Matt D'Avella's YouTube videos. (He doesn't need our help, but check out his YouTube, great content. Shout out Matt!) The video, "Everything you've been told about money is wrong", featured the author of the book, Ramit Sethi. He seemed genuine and down to earth, which intrigued me about his writing. Sure enough, the book is well written, relatable and makes understanding personal finance rather easy. Three takeaways are you need a budget, your habits compound and the best time to invest was yesterday, the next best time is today.
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman is a Noble Laureate in Economics who is also a psychologist. Naturally, this book uses his background to outline human behavior, which can be applied to finance. He breaks our behavior into two systems; the automatic (fast) and the cognitive (slow). The fast part controls emotions and the subconscious. The slow part requires concentration and focuses on complex computation. Both of these behaviors can be applied to markets and is the perfect read for understanding why markets move how/when they do.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
If you get our newsletter, you know this was our book of the month a few months back. It was recommended by an Instagram follower, and it was so good that it has now landed on this list. The main takeaway is that managing money has little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how you behave. Hence the psychology part. Be conscious of your behavior and learn to control your emotions when investing.
Bonus - The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous
This book outlines the idea of sound money and how Bitcoin could be the perfect version. Sound money protects value across time and allows for trade based on a stable unit of measurement. Gold used to be the ideal version, but in the digital age, can Bitcoin be the new king? This book dives deep into the history of money and Saifedean outlines why he believes Bitcoin is going to take the throne, once it overcomes some early volatility and issues. It's a great book to get the full history of money and a general introduction into Bitcoin.
Conclusion
If you are looking to learn or broaden your knowledge, these books are perfect. You'll notice there's common themes throughout; consistency, patience, emotions, behavior, budgeting. But the way each author approaches these lessons is unique and interesting. Some books may speak directly to you, others may not. We recommend you give them a try and let us know which ones you enjoyed the most!
Remember, it's never too late to start!
Comment below and let us know what other books should be on this list.
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Partnerships
These are the companies we have partnered with this year. They make this blog possible so go check them out!
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Disclosures
I am not a licensed financial advisor or financial professional. This is not investing advice. I am simply sharing my research and opinion based on that research. It is very important that you do your own research and make investments based on your own personal circumstances, preferences, goals and risk tolerance.
This blog contains some affiliate links. If you purchase any service through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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