Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Personal Finance 8 Best Personal Finance Books for 2025 Updated Mar 14, 2025 10-min read Expert Approved Expert Approved This article has been reviewed by a Certified Financial Planner™ for accuracy. Written by Catherine Collins Written by Catherine Collins Expertise: Budgeting, Mortgages, Credit, Debt, Personal loans, Small business, Entrepreneurship Learn more about Catherine Collins Reviewed by Gail Urban, CFP® Reviewed by Gail Urban, CFP® Expertise: Investment management, financial planning, financial analysis, estate planning, life insurance, student loan management, debt management, retirement planning, saving for college Gail Urban, CFP®, AAMS®, has been a licensed financial advisor since 2009, specializing in helping individuals. Before personal financial advising, she worked as a business financial manager in several industries for about 25 years. Learn more about Gail Urban, CFP® Reading personal finance books (or listening to them on audio) is one of the best ways to learn different ways to reach your money goals. As a financial writer for nearly 15 years and the author of my own book, Mom’s Got Money, I’ve learned from several authors on this list through their social media accounts, websites, lectures, and, of course, their books. My goal for creating this list was to depart from the typical “best of” lists. I’ve included a variety of books that cover topics like basic personal finance, investing, and retirement, but also newer topics that reflect what we need in 2025, like mindfulness and happiness as it relates to money. It was hard to choose, but here are my picks for the nine best money books to read in 2025. Table of Contents 1. Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing 2. The Wealthy Barber: The Common Sense Guide to Successful Financial Planning 3. When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women 4. Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom 5. Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole 6. Happy Money Happy Life: A Multi-dimensional Approach to Health, Wealth, and Financial Freedom 7. The Psychology of Money 8. The Mindful Millionaire: Overcome Scarcity, Experience True Prosperity, and Create the Life You Really Want 1. Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing by Jacob Goldstein Year published: 2020 Length: 272 pages What it’s about This is an interesting and entertaining history of money. Journalist Jacob Goldstein explores the idea that money only has value because we decide, as a society, that it does. He provides a rich history of money, from ancient Greek coins to Bitcoin. Takeaways Society decides what counts as money and what doesn’t, whether it’s gold coins, paper, or bartering. Money has evolved significantly over time, and it will continue to do so as society’s needs change. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 Jacob is an entertaining writer. He takes a complex economic topic like money and weaves in interesting historical facts that teach you so much about money as a concept. Underneath the fun facts, though, is a thought-provoking concept that money only exists because people have made it so. This is a useful and enlightening read for anyone who wants to learn more about money itself. Money is a made-up thing, a shared fiction. Money is fundamentally, unalterably social. – Jacob Goldstein, Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing Buy it here 2. The Wealthy Barber: The Common Sense Guide to Successful Financial Planning by David Chilton Year published: 1989 and updated in 2011 Length: 224 pages What it’s about The Wealthy Barber and the updated version sold more than five million copies, making it the best-selling Canadian book ever. It’s successful because David writes it in a story format, in which he discovers his hometown barber is wealthy and full of common-sense money lessons. Takeaways You’ll learn the importance of personal finance basics, such as saving and investing to grow your wealth over time. Learn what happens when you avoid debt and spend wisely instead of falling into the trap of lifestyle inflation. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 If you want to learn more about money in a way that won’t put you to sleep, reading this book is a great place to start. Because it’s told in narrative format, the money lessons are more digestible and interesting. “Be an owner, not a loaner.” – David Chilton, The Wealthy Barber Buy it here 3. When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women by Farnoosh Torabi Year published: 2014 Length: 288 What it’s about This is a niche but much-needed book. Farnoosh Torabi, who has written several personal finance books, gives advice and strategies to breadwinning women on ways to structure their finances to create harmony in their homes. Takeaways Farnoosh explains how high-earning women can navigate dating, marriage, and managing finances within a relationship. The data from a 1,000-person study shows infidelity is more prominent in households where a woman outearns her husband, and Farnoosh gives advice on how to open communication and create a better relationship. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 More women are becoming the breadwinners in their families, and with that can come challenges. This is worth the read if you have or anticipate having challenging money conversations within your relationship and need a guide to help you navigate them. “Women who do not hide their talents and gifts have a much stronger sense of worth and can parlay that into a powerful, enriching relationship with a partner.” – Farnoosh Torabi, When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women Buy it here 4. Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom by Sam Dogen Year published: 2022 Length: 336 pages What it’s about Written by Sam Dogen, the creator of Financial Samurai, Buy This, Not That is a comprehensive money book that teaches readers concrete strategies for maximizing their wealth. Sam is famous for working on Wall Street and retiring in his 30s. His ability to relay information with an analytical approach and storytelling is unique. Takeaways You’ll learn the difference between “good debt” and “bad debt” and strategies to build passive income streams. You’ll learn Sam’s 70/30 framework for making money decisions. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 If you’ve read many introductory-level personal finance books, you’ll enjoy the more complex topics featured in Buy This, Not That. Sam goes more in-depth than many personal finance books, offering advice on how to make informed choices on your career, homeownership, investing, family, and more. A knife can help you prepare the most amazing dishes for your family and friends, but a knife can also cut you if improperly used. The same thing goes for debt. – Sam Dogan, Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom Buy it here 5. Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany Aliche Year published: 2021 Length: 336 pages What it’s about Tiffany Aliche, known as the Budgetnista to over a million followers online, shares 10 steps you can take to become financially whole. Known for her big personality and money smarts, Tiffany takes topics like budgeting, saving, and spending habits and makes learning about them fun. Takeaways You’ll get action plans and tips for automating your bills, investing money, buying a house, and more. Tiffany offers different perspectives than other experts, like learning how to save money to make money, rather than just saving money to spend it later. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 Tiffany is exceptional at motivating others to improve their financial lives. If you’re someone who made a resolution to improve their money habits in 2025, this book is helpful because Tiffany writes in a relatable way. She makes it feel like a friend is giving you money advice. Financial wholeness is when all the aspects of your financial life are working together for your greatest good, your biggest benefit, and your richest life. –Tiffany Aliche, Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole Buy it here 6. Happy Money Happy Life: A Multi-dimensional Approach to Health, Wealth, and Financial Freedom by Jason Vitug Year published: 2023 Length: 288 pages What it’s about This is Jason Vitug’s second book. His first book, You Only Live Once, is about how to find financial success and work-life balance. His second book, Happy Money Happy Life, is about how money can buy happiness when you use it to improve your well-being. Takeaways: The book describes eight different wellness dimensions, such as financial, occupational, emotional, physical, and more, that you can work to improve. It’s better to spend money on long-term goals than short-term instant gratification. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 Since the pandemic, which Jason writes about in the book, many people have struggled both mentally and financially. Learning how to use money as a tool to improve your happiness gives you more incentive to reach your money goals. Financial stress is experienced mentally, expressed emotionally, and appears physically. – Jason Vitug, Happy Money Happy Life: A Multi-dimensional Approach to Health, Wealth, and Financial Freedom Buy it here 7. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Year published: 2020 Length: 256 pages What it’s about Morgan Housel’s book goes beyond typical money advice and instead highlights the importance that psychology plays in our money decisions. This book is about behavioral decisions that impact how we manage money. Takeaways Creating long-term financial success isn’t necessarily about intelligence. It’s more about understanding your psychology and having discipline. Financial success doesn’t happen overnight; it takes patience and a long-term plan. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 We live in a world of instant gratification, and Morgan provides a much-needed deep dive into the psychology of money. His research and work can help you gain insight into why you manage money the way you do. If you’ve tried budgeting or saving before and it hasn’t worked, this book can provide insights. Spending money to show people how much money you have is the fastest way to have less money. – Morgan Hansel, The Psychology of Money Buy it here 8. The Mindful Millionaire: Overcome Scarcity, Experience True Prosperity, and Create the Life You Really Want by Leisa Peterson Year published: 2020 Length: 352 pages What it’s about Leisa Peterson uses her experience as a financial planner and spiritual coach to teach readers money practices that go beyond typical financial advice. Her book helps readers develop mindfulness, break old patterns, and discover how to live abundant, fulfilling lives. Takeaways This book will help you stop feeling shame around money and gain a new appreciation for financial independence. You’ll learn journaling and mindfulness techniques that can positively impact how you feel about money. Why it’s worth reading in 2025 More people are starting to realize there’s a connection between mindfulness, money, and your overall mental health. Leisa’s book is unique in that it goes beyond traditional money advice and instead guides readers to consider a more holistic approach to building wealth and becoming financially independent. The major reason for setting goals is to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them. The greatest value is in the skills, knowledge, discipline, and leadership – Leisa Peterson, The Mindful Millionaire: Overcome Scarcity, Experience True Prosperity, and Create the Life You Really Want Buy it here Reading the books above can help you to achieve your next money goals, whatever they may be. There are, of course, many personal finance books out there, but these are a great place to start. I chose them because each of them provided something beyond typical personal finance books, and I’m confident they can make a positive impact on your financial life this year. Tip If you want to see more handpicked lists, consider seeing our best books for getting out of debt, the best books for building wealth, or the 11 best personal finance podcasts.