Top 10 Best Personal Finance Books for College Students

If you don’t understand the language of money, and you don’t have a bank account, then you’re just an economic slave.”

These wise words of John Hope Bryant, CEO of Operation Hope reflect that to know what is money and utility and usage, you have to learn about money and understand the proper ways investment processes for a secured financial career.

In this present condition of continuous financial expansion, it is the most basic need to understand what is the influence of money in our daily lives. To know about significant methods of budgeting and simultaneously implanting new ideas to overcome several financial issues you should go through the books related to personal finance that would enlighten you about individual income, savings, expenses, growth and all the important factors that will help your whole life.

Best Personal Finance Books

In this article, I will cover ten such amazing personal finance books that are worthwhile for college students. Many of these awesome books deal with college situations such as managing finances while in college, how to get out of student debt, etc. So, if makes more sense for you as a college student to check out and pick some of these top-rated personal finance books.

Personal Finance Book

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad

Rich Dad Poor Dad Personal Finance BookRich Dad Poor Dad is a masterpiece by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Letcher that was written in the year of 1997. This particular book is consistently ranking number one for personal finance related advisory.

The book has been written in a set of parable style. It is a tale of two different fathers and their lifestyle. It shows how the rich father accumulates money from entrepreneurship and his saving investments for the future and on the other hand, the poor father’s hard struggle for survival because of the lack of knowledge about money-saving. The book focuses on personal finance & budgeting, financial literacy, safe and profitable business ideas, financial independence as well as financial intelligence that will help to know not only how to make good balance but how to make your money work for you in the future.

2. The Millionaire Next Door

The Millionaire Next Door Personal Finance BookThis book was first published in 1996. This book is highly recommended for the beginners better to say for the college students of personal finance. In this book, the authors (Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko) have made a comparison between the ways of living of the Under Accumulators of wealth and the Prodigious Accumulators of wealth. It also says that you need to establish your goal first, then work on it to earn money.

Like the former book, this one also provides you the basic knowledge and practical instructions of personal finance.

3. The Total Money Makeover

The Total Money Makeover Personal Finance BookAccording to Dave Ramsey, “You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.”

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness is the finest financial advisory document for any personal finance student, authored by Dave Ramsey himself. It provides the idea of planning for well-toned budgets and growing up healthy investment and saving habits, especially for the young generation.

Moreover, he talks about the cons of being unnecessary extravagance that could lead you to the neverending debt cycle. Finally, This book focuses on seven baby steps to achieve a fit financial status by following personal finance knowledge of proper planning for budgeting, investments, future plans for retirement, profitable business development and saving larger money, etc.

4. The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, & Broke

The Money Book for the Young Fabulous Broke Personal Finance BookAuthored by Suze Orman, this book deals with Generation Debt as well as strategies to know the credit score, career moves, making grades on student debts, easy investment procedures, and making many benefits by saving larger. So, the book’s scope is not just limited to personal finance and budgeting. It deals with a whole lot array of life situations and experiences.

Overall, the book is best suited for people, who are pursuing their college education with the help of heavy educational loans, and is globally known for its relevance and the present problem that is currently being faced by young people.

5. Think and Grow Rich

Think and Grow Rich Personal Finance BookThink and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is about self-improvement and personal development of an individual’s financial status. This one is really inspiring to those who can choose to go to any extent to achieve their goals. It gives the most practical lessons relevant to present age financial issues and solutions.

The author highlights the difference between success and failure in an individual’s life. Also, he has focused on the importance of planning and budgeting for financial growth. Moreover, he has emphasized the significance of knowledge acquisition about personal finance by mentioning the successful stories of real-life achievers.

6. Thinking, Fast and Slow

Thinking, Fast and Slow Personal Finance BookThe Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman has written this book based on his own experiences. The book talks about three phases of his career. Here the author educates his readers about the decision making process and capabilities of human thinking. He has made a dichotomy of two modes of human thought that includes emotional and logical aspects of mind.

Also, he has tried to cover the importance of thinking slowly and making reliable decisions after thorough observation. He has framed people’s tendency of replacing difficult questions with one that is easy to answer and suitable for them and their confidence in doing judgments. In my opinion, it is a must-read personal finance book.

7. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind Personal Finance BookIn Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth, author T. Harv Eker focuses on achieving goals rather than just saying about it. Eker’s book provides the answer to all those usual questions of financially unsuccessful people about rich and wealthy people’s secrets of success and theirs of getting richer, their educational skills or training or work habits.

Eker talks about changing your mindset of money-making procedures. It gives a clear idea about how to run a successful business and gain profit from it and further long term savings.

8. The Wealthy Gardener

The Wealthy Gardener Personal Finance BookThe Wealthy Gardener: Life Lessons on Prosperity between Father and Son by John Soforic is an extraordinary classic piece about a financially independent father and his financially dependent son. This book shows you how a father gives his son a practical insight into earning money. The father also educates his son to focus on his aim as well as his further interests.

Also, the books include essential personal finance techniques and tactics to earn a little extra and save more. This indirectly will give way to overcome hurdles of debt and slavery.

9. The Richest Man in Babylon

The Richest Man in Babylon Personal Finance BookThis is a classic piece on personal finance goals by George S. Clason and praised by millions of finance college students as well as finance professionals. In this book, the author has shown how to accomplish better personal finance in a very simple language.

In this book, the author has introduced the practical finance related problems of present days and the ways to overcome those. The author has advice about how to generate wealth, investing in known things, long term savings, and gaining own home by the verse of a fictional character of Babylon that will guide you to the path of prosperity in succession.

10. Psych Yourself Rich

Psych Yourself Rich Personal Finance BookThis book has been written by a popular personal finance star of television, Farnoosh Torabi, that shows the proper application of scientifically proven methods and ideas of gaining wealth and a successful financial condition. The best part is the New York Times has approved her theories as “perfectly practical”.

According to the author, planning for the future is really very important for building up a sound financial life. We are living in a culture where everyone desires a quick fix solution for every problem. But Torabi says, no good achievement can come out from quick action. It requires proper planning, hard work, discipline, and a focused mindset to gain success in life.

Closing Thoughts 

The above-mentioned books will help you to understand the fundamental knowledge about finance. A good personal finance book can guide you to a successful financial establishment and also a better path of choosing a suitable professional career that will lead you to earn good and make it big in the future.

Bradley Wood is a freelance writer who lives in Pomona, Los Angeles. He is pursuing graduation from the University of California (UC). Bradley frequently contributes his high-quality articles in Academics and Education to our site to help students in their day-to-day life.