​10 best personal finance books of all time

By Bob Haegele Personal finance blogger at The Frugal Fellow
​There are a lot of personal finance books. Sure, not as many as there are blog posts on personal finance, but still. There are a lot of them So how do you decide which ones are the best ones to read? To help answer that question, I’ve put together a list of the top personal finance books. Adding these books to your collection is sure to set you up for financial success.

Your Money or Your Life
Your Money or Your Life is somewhat of a foundational personal finance book. The author, Vicki Robin, published it all the way back in 1992. Yet it is is still around; this book has stood the test of time. Robin’s concept of “making a dying” is perhaps what makes this book so powerful. We all like to say we “make a living” – but what if it’s the opposite? Despite “money” being the second words in its title, the book poses more of a philosophical question than one of pure numbers. Do you want to work for someone else forever? Or do you want to take control of your life? I highly recommend reading this book to find out how you can do just that.

Order your copy on Amazon.

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​​The Simple Path To Wealth
Unlike Vicki Robin’s book, The Simple Path to Wealth really gets into the nitty-gritty numbers. JL Collins wrote it to lay out a simple, no-nonsense investing strategy that anyone can follow.

Sure, it may be possible to see slightly better results with a more complicated strategy. But with Collins’s approach, you set yourself up for success with little effort.

This book is definitely one of the best personal finance books of all time. Be sure to check it out!

Order your copy on Amazon.

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​​The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness
Many people in the personal finance community criticize Dave Ramsey. Some call him out of touch or privileged. In spite of this, his book, The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness contains some great advice. This is the pivotal book in Dave Ramsey’s arsenal. It contains his 7 baby steps plan. A lot of the bylines around personal finance sound grim nowadays. But the truth is that they don’t have to be. I’m confident that even lower-income people can avoid financial disaster with Dave’s steps.
Total Money Makeover is a great personal finance book for beginners. It helps set the groundwork to set the reader up for financial success. It also has some of the best Dave Ramsey tips all in one place. No doubt, this is one of the best personal finance books of all time. .

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​Financial Freedom: A Proven Path To All The Money You Will Ever Need
It might seem bold to put a book that was only released a few months ago on this list. However, Grant Sabatier’s Financial Freedom is thoroughly deserving of a place here. I’ve mentioned Grant’s book several times in the past. And with good reason. The things he has been able to do have been nothing short of remarkable. He went from having $2.26 in his bank account to being a millionaire in just five years. At the start of his journey, he had lost his job and quite was – quite literally – almost penniless. But through (extremely) hard work, creativity, and determination, Grant managed to pull himself out of financial ruin. He’s now doing extremely well and has been featured on the many of the big news outlets. In Financial Freedom, Grant walks you through everything he did to reach a 7-figure net worth in a hurry. You don’t want to miss this one!

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​I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Second Edition
This book is worthy of a place on the list because of its no-nonsense approach to finances. Not only that but as the name implies, I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Second Edition is a refresh on an old classic. While this edition was released a matter of weeks ago, the book was originally released in 2009. Ramit Sethi’s book is similar to Dave Ramsey’s in that it gives you a step-by-step approach. However, this book takes it a step further. It’s not just for beginners who want to gain a foundational understanding of personal finance. Instead, it gets into the weeds in terms of exactly what you should be doing with your credit cards, investments, and everything needed for financial success.

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Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad is another personal finance who has come under fire. Much live Dave Ramsey, though, his reputation doesn’t change the value of his book. I personally like the approach in this book because it focuses on mindset. In addition, it challenges many of the established norms of finance. For example, Kiyosaki asserts that your house is not an asset. Some of his advice may be unconventional, but this book is sure to get you thinking differently. And sometimes, that is exactly what we need.

Order your copy on Amazon.

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​Secrets Of Six-Figure Women
While I don’t often focus on women’s personal finance, Secrets of Six-Figure Women is undoubtedly worth a mention. Like it not (well, I hope you do!), women are earning more these days. While there are certainly still disparities in income and other workplace dynamics, things are changing. If you’re a female reader, there’s a good chance you would love to join the likes of other six-figure women. This book will break down exactly how to do just that! And these women are not just in one industry. They are all over the spectrum, but what they do have in common are certain characteristics. Do you have what it takes.

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​Stack Your Savings
Stack Your Savings is a book by S.J. Scott and it’s a bit of a hybrid of some of the others. It will hit you with facts about personal finance and help you change your money mindset. It will also tell you about the seven pills of money-saving habits. These are not necessarily sequential like those of Dave Ramsey. Nevertheless, these habits are sure to help you get your finances in order!

Order your copy on Amazon.

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​Passive Income Freedom
Passive Income Freedom is another important book when it comes to mastering your finances. In fact, creating passive income streams is key to achieving financial independence. Although the color scheme of this book cover may make it seem women-focused, the reality is that anyone can find value in it. And just like I mentioned, this personal finance book focuses has a financial independence theme. So if you’re ready to escape the rat race and take control of your finances, be sure to check this one out!

Order your copy on Amazon.

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​How To Stop Living Paycheck To Paycheck
Rounding out the list of the best personal finance books of all time is How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck. And that is no coincidence. You may have heard the stats that keep cropping up about how Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency. 40% of us, apparently.  If you aren’t able to cover a $400 emergency, that is the very definition of living paycheck-to-paycheck. It’s mind-boggling to think 40% of Americans are in this position. By no means do I fault anyone for being there, though. There are a lot of things I could say about this, but the truth is that most of these people are probably not at fault. That’s why a book like this is so crucial right now. If you are living paycheck-to-paycheck, this is the personal finance book for you!

Order your copy on Amazon.