Investing is one of those things that you know you should get into, but you don’t — because it’s totally overwhelming.
Beginner investors often don’t know where to start. And even though micro-investing apps and websites that require only a few bucks to get started make investing more accessible than ever, it’s still a confusing market. If only we were taught investing class instead of calculus in high school.
Luckily, there are thousands of ways to learn how to invest on your own. Below are the 10 best investing books for beginners that will help you get started.
1. If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly
Author William J. Berstein breaks down the basics of investing in such a way that even a child could understand it. His book, “If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly,” reveals his investing strategy that he claims takes as little as 15 minutes per year and can outperform financial professionals by 90%.
The book is only 50 pages, so it’s a great read for people who are just starting to dip their toes in the pools of investing — and that’s not even the best part. While a hard copy is available for purchase online, Bernstein lets users download an E-book version for free.
2. The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money
Investing just got fun, thanks to Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage’s book, “The Financial Diet.”
This book focuses on your relationship with money, which is a key component of the foundation of investing. It doesn’t make sense to start investing if you don’t first have your finances in order—which is what this book will teach you to do.
And once you’ve followed their steps for budgeting and saving, Hage and Fagan will lay out some steps to help you get started with investing.
3. The Little Book That Still Beats the Market
Not only is the title catchy, but Joel Greenblatt’s collection of books, titled “The Little Book That Still Beats the Market,” shares some serious investing wisdom from the best of the best in finance.
In addition to those little money nuggets, the book also shares Greenblatt’s “magic formula” to help outperform the market, which is by buying good companies for low prices. There’s also a free resource called “Magic Formula Investing” that can help you with the math required to put that formula into action.
4. The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
While money seems to be mostly facts and figures, there’s a psychology to it that can be helpful to understand, which is exactly what Morgon Housel’s book, “The Psychology of Money,” aims to share.
In it, Housel discusses the 20 different emotions, flaws, and biases that affect investing and can hinder your success. It’s a great book to read before you start investing, so you don’t fall victim to some of the common emotional pitfalls.
5. The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life
Ever wished that your parents who have dispelled the knowledge of investing to you in your youth? Well, JL Collins’ book, “The Simple Path to Wealth,” is the closest you can get.
This book was pulled from letters Collins wrote to his daughter about investing, and in them, he offers simple explanations for not only how to invest, but how to think about money in general. He also talks about debt and how to keep investing even after you’re well into retirement.
6. The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing
If you’ve held off on investing because you have no prior experience, this is the book for you. Authors Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer, and Michael LeBoeuf break down the basics in such an easy way. Meaning there’s no obscure financial jargon or fancy, confusing language.
In fact, by the end of this book, you’ll have everything you need to create an investing strategy all on your own. While “The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing” covers all types of investments, it does naturally point to low-cost index investing as a great place to start.
7. The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Investors and Managers
With this book on your shelf, you’ll have tons of answers to the question, “What would Warren Buffet do?”
“The Essays of Warren Buffett” compiles a variety of letters written by Buffett that share his beliefs on all things finance, including investing. He makes a case for using business analysis to make any investment decisions and will even make you question traditional advice like “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Every investor has something to learn from the great Warren Buffett, and acquiring his knowledge at the beginning of your investing journey will prove rewarding in the long run.
8. Women of The Street: Why Female Money Managers Generate Higher Returns
If you’re a woman looking to get into investing, you need to read Meredith A. Jones’ book “Women of The Street.”
In it, Jones breaks down how women invest differently than men—and how they often get higher returns. She then teaches you how to use that advantage in your own investing strategy.
This book is part advice and part a deep-dive into the psychology of how gender can affect investing decisions. It’s a great read to help women feel more confident as they get started building their portfolios.
9. Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets: A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications
After you’ve gotten the hang some simple investing books, it’s time to dive into something a little more complex. Like John J, Murphy’s “Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets.”
Technical analysis is the study of trading data to find trends that will lead to future investment opportunities. It’s not an easy thing to learn, but Murphy lays it out in a very digestible way.
10. The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing
And finally, you’re investing bookshelf is not complete without Benjamin Graham’s, “The Intelligent Investor.”
It’s a much longer book than most on this list—640 pages, to be exact—but it’s well written and easy to understand. In it, you’ll learn Graham’s three key principles for what he calls “intelligent investing,” or value investing.
Warren Buffet himself once called it the ” best book about investing ever written,” so you know it’s gotta be good.
