The financial world can be intimidating at times and tough to infiltrate. Industry pros are either touting the next big thing or alluding to the next big crash. On every corner: a new investment, stock, sector or company buzzing on the news, social media, and everywhere in between. We are taught the basics: save for a rainy day, invest a little bit, and try to own something. It is a simplified strategy, yet it seems clear there are some people who simply win at the game of money—while others, well, don’t.
It wasn’t too long ago we all watched slack-jawed as Reddit users swept the floor against Wall Street, turning a David vs Goliath story into a full-fledged reality at the hands of the GameStop stock. It was the rare instance wherein the little guys won big overnight, using a collective strategy and taking a lot of risk. Our minds went for a spin. It’s clear that there is room for financial prospects—the question is how. In finance, everyone has an opinion and only a select few know the real secrets. How do we become like the pros? Hint: it has almost everything to do with your mindset.
As with everything, you gotta work at it, and that includes studying up. Be the best-read man in the room and you’ve got a head start. No matter where you are on the road to financial freedom, the first step begins with your perception of money. Whether you need to change the way you look at finances, have an uncomfortable money conversation, or teach solid habits to your children—we have the book for you.
BROKE MILLENNIAL
by Erin Lowry
TarcherPerigee
Statistics show that many lottery winners go broke and declare bankruptcy within 3-5 years in comparison to the average American. It happens more often than we may think, yet people often don’t understand why or how these situations arise. The truth is that financial literacy is not taught in schools or in the media—it is a learnt behavior and is the difference between creating wealth and just simply earning money. This is exactly the theme that financial expert Erin Lowry tackles in Broke Millennial. It is the perfect go-to for those that don’t know where to start, but are ready to start looking at money differently. It intends to help you change your relationship with money and learn how to navigate different financial situations—such as within a relationship or with friends. This isn’t a typical and intimidating kind of money book, the kind that end up making you feel bad about your choices; it offers the perspective of a straight shooting financial advisor ready to help you take control of your life. Lowry translates the complicated aspects of money into an easy-to-read pocket guide that will help readers, particularly younger readers, discover financial literacy and how to take reign of the money issues in their life.
RICHER, WISER, HAPPIER
by William Green
Scribner
Slip into the mindset of a billionaire investor through William Green’s famed book Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World’s Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life. Green, a financial journalist for Fortune, Forbes, The New Yorker and Time, sought out the globe’s best super-investors to find out what it really takes to build long-lasting wealth. Green describes the perspective that these investors hold—thinking objectively with a strong aptitude for risk assessment, rationality, and decision-making—and how their success is the result of more than just financial smarts. For billionaire investors, moneymaking is not only a calculated game of odds but is a mix of wisdom, lessons, and experiences that result in successful decision-making. Interviews with renowned investing legends such as Charlie Munger, Joel Greenblatt, Howard Marks and Ed Thorp, to name a few, will leave readers with a newfound perception on business, finance and life. If you are ready to level up the way you navigate both life and opportunity, this could be just the book for you.
YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE
by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Penguin Books
Personal finance can be an intimidating game to play—sometimes it’s hard to know exactly where to start and what to do when it’s time to create a new financial roadmap. Your Money or Your Life is a step-based guide that covers all things money: from side-hustle income to index fund investments. Authors Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin tackle the basics and more to help readers save money, build solid financial habits, and learn how to have uncomfortable but necessary conversations about money. The authors take this one-step further and ask readers to consider their relationship with money in comparison to their personal values and quality of life. This read will help you uncover your money habits, find out where your money is going, how much you have earned, and how much money is enough for your financial goals, quality of life, and future. From interactive charts and figures, made for the reader to fill out easily, this book takes a more hands-on approach to personal finance that forces you to get started.
MONEYBALL: THE ART OF WINNING AN UNFAIR GAME
by Michael Lewis
W.W. Norton & Company
Yes, we realize Michael Lewis’ book is about baseball, but certain Wall Street vets consider Moneyball one of the best investing books on the market. And for good reason. We have all become familiar with its plot, a story focused on the Oakland A’s, and how a small budget team won big. Looking deeply at the overall approach the team took to reach this success, it becomes evident the lessons are applicable to finances. Consider the Moneyball strategy: using data-driven analytics to find undervalued baseball players. The way Billy Beane famously shifted his team’s drafting analytics is not dissimilar to the way Warren Buffett invests in stock: both capitalized off of finding undervalued assets that are both affordable and not status quo. By using math and analytics, the team was able to secure quality players at a fraction of the price. This strategy allowed the team’s small budget to produce a highly successful and competitive team against some of the sport’s best players. Try this approach with the stock market and general investing and you might find that seeking out undervalued companies instead of gravitating towards token blue-chip stocks may be highly advantageous. If you’re a sports buff and into finance, this one is a great pick.
THE OPPOSITE OF SPOILED: RAISING KIDS WHO ARE GROUNDED, GENEROUS AND SMART ABOUT MONEY
by Ron Lieber
Harper
It is no question we live in a world that doesn’t love to talk about money in personal relationships. However, according to author Ron Lieber, this is the exact opposite of what you should do as a parent. Lieber details healthy ways that parents can discuss money with their children in order to help them understand the value of money, responsibility, and financial literacy. He encourages and teaches parents how to communicate to their children about the value of being financially conscious and understanding hard work. This is a great book for parents who are unsure of the first steps of teaching financial literacy and who are curious how to break these communication barriers. The takeaway? There are many different ways a parent can begin to have money conversations with their children, but the important step is to start. Starting them young is advantageous: knowledge is power and so is compound interest.
