Best Investing Books for Beginners

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Contributor, Benzinga
June 21, 2023

Most successful investors make reading books a priority, and that's one reason that finding the best investing books for beginners is so important. Take Warren Buffett, for example. The renowned billionaire and businessman began his career by reading between 600 and 1,000 pages per day.

Per day.

Bill Gates reads one book per week or about 50 books per year. Studies of wealthy people reveal that they read voraciously. With their entrepreneurial/investing skills, it’s the type of books they’ve chosen to read that contributes to their success. It’s obvious they’re not cracking open the Harry Potter series; they’re reading books that’ll make them even more wealthy.

In fact, here’s proof of that: According to Tom Corley, author of Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, rich people (those with an annual income of $160,000 or more and a liquid net worth of $3.2 million-plus) read for self-improvement, education, and success.

Meanwhile, poor people (those with an annual income of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less) read primarily to be entertained, if they read at all. How many self-improvement, financial or books about success did you read last year?

Quick Look at the Best Investing Books For Beginners:

What These Types of Books Can Do For You

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They’re inspiring

It’s impossible to pick up a copy of David Bach’s Automatic Millionaire and not want to sprint to your company’s HR office for the 401(k) enrollment papers in order to jack up your 401(k) contribution. Or, if you don’t have a 401(k), it’s likely that Bach will make you feel super-excited about opening one for the first time. His book allows you feel as if being a millionaire is actually within your grasp. Any great investing book makes you feel like you’re just as capable as “getting there” as anyone else.

They’ll get you to think outside the box and force you to spend time thinking, period

When you read about the concept of “F-You money,” like it’s laid out in The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins, you can be sure that you’ll never think of work the same way again.

They show you pathways

They say, if you want to be a successful investor, hang out with and learn from successful investors. This includes reading their books. You can learn from their mistakes, too. Most of these books include the mistakes they’ve made. Learn from them and avoid the mistakes they’ve made with the best investing books for beginners.

Here’s our list of books that top the charts.

They’re not only instructive, they’re meant to help you. You’ve heard of the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” When you’re in an unfamiliar situation, follow the lead of those who know the ropes.

Also, don’t forget to check out the other list of books we’ve compiled in Best Stock Market Books for Investing 2018.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley and William Danko

The contents of The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy might surprise you. The book is less about “put your money in XYZ index fund and invest for 20 years” and more about the daily habits of millionaires. For example, most millionaires don’t look like millionaires. They:

  • Don’t drive fancy cars
  • Buy expensive clothes
  • Live well below their means
  • Are tightwads

See, interesting, huh? Read the first few pages on Amazon and you’ll be hooked. The reason we include it on our best investing books list is because it gives great money advice for anyone who wants to be a millionaire.

Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School by Andrew Hallam

IIf you’ve got a modest salary (like that of a teacher, like the author) Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School is proof that anyone can successfully invest and become rich.

From a detailed perspective on index funds to conquering your personal financial demons, Andrew Hallam’s nine rules can put you in good financial shape, if you follow them.        

Liberated Stock Trader PRO – A Complete Stock Market Education

The Liberated Stock Trader PRO training course is a comprehensive training solution which will educate you in the four core pillars of investing.

The first pillar is Fundamental Analysis of companies which teaches you how screen and find growth stocks, value stocks and defensive stocks. The second is Technical Analysis which enables you to master Stock Charts, Indicators, Trendlines, Volume and supply and demand. The next section covers Market Sentiment Indicators and the psychology of trading.  Finally, portfolio management, trade execution and creating your own trading system.

What makes this 5 Star Amazon.com rated training unique, is that you get a print book shipped, 16 hours of detailed video training by the author a certified market analyst and lifetime access to a private Facebook mastermind group all included in the price.  It is an impressive package for those who want the knowledge to trade confidently.

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

If every fresh-out-of-college American kid picked up David Bach’s The Automatic Millionaire, it’d change his or her life.

Bach touts simple action steps to put you on a path to true financial freedom. His simple style shows you what compound interest, technology and making the right choices early on (or later, too!) can do for your future.

Spoiler alert: The book is all about making your investments automatic.      

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip A. Fisher

In this book, stocks are serious business, but if you’re any type of stock investor (yes, even a beginner) Fisher’s 15 points in Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits for what to look for in stocks are well worth paying attention to.

Fisher’s book is also highly endorsed by Warren Buffett, so that fact alone makes it worth reading.      

If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly by William Bernstein

You might be shocked by the forthright bluntness of If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly.

For example, the first chapter is called Hurdle Number One (instead of chapter one, mind you): Even if you can invest like Warren Buffett, if you can’t save, you’ll die poor. See? It’s blunt, but it sure gets the attention of millennials who might need a money makeover.

Winning the Loser’s Game: Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing by Charles Ellis

If you’re ready for a deep-down look into the market, timing the market, volatile markets and active investing, this ook is for you.

Written in a plain format and a quick read, Ellis’ Winning the Loser’s Game: Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing is a great book if you’re into the idea of rethinking at how you view your investments or investing in general.        

The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins

Spend less than you earn, invest the surplus, avoid debt. That’s one of the first sentences in Collins’ book, The Simple Path to Wealth, and it rings true throughout.

Collins, who originally began by writing letters to his daughter, morphed this advice into a website and a book. If all of it stems from advice to his daughter, you know it's good advice, and it is.        

Final Thoughts

Needless to say, there are thousands of great investing and finance books out there, and we have provided a list of the best investing books for beginners. . We only have the opportunity to scratch the surface. A common theme throughout these books is this: Never in history has it been easier to build wealth than now; think of all the technology available to you!

Q

Why do people read investing books?

A

Successful investors like to research the market and hear a variety of opinions. Investing books give them that insight.

Q

Where do I find good investing books?

A

You can find a great list of investing books by referring to the list above.

Q

How do I teach myself to invest?

A

One of the best ways to teach yourself to invest is to buy and read books about investing.