The 13 Best Investing Books for Beginners of 2023

Contents

1 Best Overall: The Intelligent Investor
2 Best for Learning the Basics: How to Make Money in Stocks
3 Best on Real Estate Investing: How to Invest in Real Estate
4 Best on Stocks: The Little Book That Still Beats the Market
5 Best for Inspiration: The Simple Path to Wealth
6 Best on Mutual Funds: Common Sense on Mutual Funds
7 Best for Young Adults: Broke Millennial Takes on Investing
8 Best on Strategies: A Random Walk Down Wall Street
9 Best Psychology: Thinking, Fast and Slow
10 Best First-Person Account: Principles: Life and Work
11 Best for Debt Holders: Live Richer Challenge
12 Best for Real Estate Investor Beginners: Investing in Rental Properties for Beginners
13 Best for the Basics: Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money
14 Final Verdict
- 14.1 Meet the Expert

Enter the world of investing with ease

By Rachel Morgan Cautero Updated on August 2, 2021 Reviewed by Thomas J. Catalano

Reviewed by Thomas J. Catalano Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas' experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning. learn about our financial review board

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About 65% of adults said they think investing in the stock market is either scary or intimidating, according to a 2018 Ally Invest survey. Among their fears? Making the wrong investment, trusting the wrong sources, or not having enough money to invest.

Whether you’re a new investor confused about the best strategy for your fledging portfolio or haven’t taken the investment plunge yet, we’ve got you covered with our picks of the best investing books for beginners.

Best Overall: The Intelligent Investor

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Though “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham was first published in 1949, much of its original wisdom holds true, from the importance of value investing and loss minimization to resisting emotional decision-making when navigating the financial markets. However, the newest edition has been updated with data on modern markets, as well as commentary and footnotes by financial journalist Jason Zweig. It has sold more than a million copies worldwide and has been endorsed by various industry experts and publications, including Barron’s.

Best for Learning the Basics: How to Make Money in Stocks

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William J. O’Neil’s bestseller, “How to Make Money in Stocks,” demystifies how to make money while investing, from how to choose stocks that will jump up in price to picking the best bonds, stocks, or ETFs for your portfolio. The book even covers how to pick up on the market’s current trends—and profit from them, of course. O’Neil is the founder and chairman of Investor’s Business Daily, a daily newspaper covering finance, economics, and the stock market.

Best on Real Estate Investing: How to Invest in Real Estate

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Investing your money doesn’t always mean purchasing stocks or bonds. Real estate investing is another way to diversify your investment portfolio and make returns. That’s where Joshua Dorkin and Brandon Turner’s “How to Invest in Real Estate” comes in; it includes more than 40 personal stories of how real estate investors made it big, offering advice on how to invest in real estate when working a full-time job, strategies to build wealth through real estate investing, how to fund your real estate deals, and even how to get your spouse on board. The authors are co-hosts of the real estate podcast, "BiggerPockets Podcast."

Related: The Best Real Estate Investing Books

Best on Stocks: The Little Book That Still Beats the Market

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“The Little Book That Still Beats the Market” is the aptly-named, updated version of Joel Greenblatt’s "The Little Book that Beats the Market," which was first published in 2005 and sold more than 300,000 copies. It explains to aspiring investors how they can consistently beat market averages by utilizing the author’s rather simple formula of buying stocks when they hit rock-bottom prices. But don’t fret—Greenblatt explains the concepts in simple terms and without jargon. This version includes data on the financial crisis and how the formula performed during that time.

Related: The Best Stock Market Books

Best for Inspiration: The Simple Path to Wealth

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If you’ve ever wished your parents taught you a little more about money, the financial markets, and how they work, then JL Collins’ “The Simple Path to Wealth” is for you. This book started out as a collection of letters to the author’s daughter but grew into a comprehensive financial guide. It includes topics like debt, how the stock market works, how to invest in both a bull and a bear market, navigating the many retirement funds out there, and even the importance of having f-you money.

Related: The Best Investing Books

Best on Mutual Funds: Common Sense on Mutual Funds

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If you want to invest, then it’s likely you’ll need to familiarize yourself with mutual funds at some point. Enter John C. Bogle’s “Common Sense on Mutual Funds.” Originally published in 1999, it was longlisted for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award in 2005. Keep in mind, a mutual fund is an investment vehicle through which investors pool their money to invest in securities, usually stocks or bonds. They’re important in the investment world because they’re an easy way to diversify your portfolio in a more cost-effective way. The updated version covers topics from the basics of mutual fund investing to regulatory changes to how to build an investment portfolio with staying power. Bogle is also the author of “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing” and “Enough.”

Best for Young Adults: Broke Millennial Takes on Investing

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Erin Lowry’s “Broke Millennial Takes On Investing” is one of the best investing books for beginners for its approach to several questions geared towards millennial investors, like “Should I invest while paying down student loans?” or “Should I use a robo-advisor or an investing app?” This is the second installment of Lowry’s "Broke Millennial" series. Lowry has also appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and on CBS Sunday Morning and has been published in USA Today, Cosmopolitan, and Refinery29.

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Best on Strategies: A Random Walk Down Wall Street

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You’ve probably heard of Burton G. Malkiel’s “A Random Walk Down Wall Street”—after all, it’s now in its 12th edition and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. It provides an explainer of all major investment vehicles, from stocks and bonds to real estate investment trusts and tangible assets. The updated edition includes a new chapter focusing on behavioral finance, or how our emotions affect our financial behavior and investment strategies. Malkiel is also the author of “From Wall Street to the Great Wall” and “The Random Walk Guide to Investing.”

Best Psychology: Thinking, Fast and Slow

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While this New York Times bestseller isn’t a finance book per se, it’s a great exploration into the human mind and the science behind the way we think. Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow” delves into the mind and the two systems that make it “go"; as the title suggests, one is fast and one is slow. These systems affect everything from where we choose to vacation to even how we invest in the stock market. Kahneman is a psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Best First-Person Account: Principles: Life and Work

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Ray Dalio’s “Principles: Life and Work” is a first-person account of the author’s financial success and the advice that led him there. It's worth noting that Dalio founded hedge fund Bridgewater Associates in 1975, which has since grown to one of the country’s top funds. This book has an interesting take on management, economics, and investing—that a systematic approach with a set of rules and strategies is the best approach and the clearest road to success, both financial and otherwise.

Best for Debt Holders: Live Richer Challenge

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“The “Live Richer Challenge” books by Tiffany Aliche help those with debt get their finances in order so they can start investing, starting with adjusting your money mindset to setting a budget to saving. Aliche is a personal finance educator and the bestselling author of “The One Week Budget” and the “Live Richer Challenge” series. She’s been featured on Good Morning America, the TODAY show, PBS, TIME, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, ESSENCE Magazine, FORBES, Fox Business, MSNBC, and CNN/HLN.

Best for Real Estate Investor Beginners: Investing in Rental Properties for Beginners

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In Lisa Phillips’ “Investing in Rental Properties for Beginners,” the author lays the groundwork for beginner real estate investors to learn how to build real wealth without spending a fortune. Yes, really. This book focuses primarily on investing in rental properties under $30,000 and on a modest salary, providing an easy-to-follow plan for building wealth with just a handful of properties. Phillips is a real estate investor and social media personality.

Best for the Basics: Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money

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“Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money” by Bola Sokunbi helps newbie investors understand basic tenets like exactly how investing works, how to build wealth, even if you don’t earn a hefty salary, even key pitfalls to avoid when building your investment portfolio. Sokunbi is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), finance expert, author, and social media influencer.

Final Verdict

Benjamin Graham’s “The Intelligent Investor” (view at Amazon) employs a no-nonsense take on important investing principles like value investing, loss minimization, and how to avoid emotional investing decisions—making it a must-read for any beginner.

Meet the Expert

Rachel Morgan Cautero has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and more than a decade of journalism experience, most in the personal finance sector. Most recently, she was the managing editor of DailyWorth, a finance-based media destination for women. She’s been published in SmartAsset, Investopedia, The Atlantic, Life & Money, Parents, WealthRocket, and Yahoo Finance.

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