The 5 Best Personal Finance Books I've Recently Read

I'm passionate about my profession and I love reading about personal finance for both educational reasons and enjoyment.

Over the years, I've compiled a list of books that I really enjoyed and that I plan on going back and reading every so often.

Here is a list of the top five books I'd recommend to clients. If any of these pique your interest, let me know, and I'd be happy to send you a copy.

1.   The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

This book was far and away the best book I've read in awhile. Morgan Housel is an amazing writer and takes a unique approach when writing about money. He is all about emphasizing behavior over knowledge. This book is full of fun and interesting anecdotes that show just how important behavior is in being financially successful.

2.  The One-Page Financial Plan by Carl Richards

The One-Page Financial Plan is a great book to help get you clear on your goals, what you want to accomplish in life, and how your money can help you get there. I would recommend this book to anybody who needs help creating a clear vision and wants to simplify their finances.

3.  How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski

One of my clients recommended this book to me. The subtitle of this book is, "retirement wisdom that you won't get from your financial advisor" and it couldn't be more true. While I've had the pleasure of helping a lot of people prepare for the financial transition into retirement, I can't offer much help or advice on the life transition. This book is all about how to find meaning and happiness in your retirement.

4.  7Twelve by Craig Israelsen

This book was written by one of my professors in the Personal Financial Planning major at Utah Valley University. Professor Israelsen is an amazing teacher and writer. It teaches the importance of a diversified portfolio and how different asset classes can work together to provide better performance and lower risk over time. In fact, Professor Israelsen gives a specific recommendation on how to invest your money, and while we don't subscribe to his specific recommendations, we do subscribe to his general philosophy on investing.

5.  The Economists' Hour by Binyamin Appelbaum

The Economists' Hour is an amazing history on how economists gained and exerted an enormous amount of influence on economic policy and regulations across the world. This book provides invaluable context as you learn and develop opinions on the current financial affairs happening worldwide.