Personal Finance Books for Young Adults on Your Gift List

We often hear people say they wish they’d learned how to manage their personal finances earlier in life. And we agree. But since we can’t go back in time, the next best thing we can do is teach the younger generation sooner. 

When we lack money management skills and personal finance knowledge, we can get ourselves into trouble. Spending more than we earn, accumulating too much debt, falling for ‘get rich quick’ schemes or other financial scams, not saving for retirement, and more. 

The good news: we don’t have to succumb to money issues, and financial problems are fixable if we begin learning money lessons now rather than later.

We know money is a necessity, and time is critical. This is why it’s essential for young adults to read good money books that’ll teach them how to manage and invest their money wisely as early as possible (the earlier, the better!).

Personal Finance Books for Teens and Young Adults

This page contains affiliate links, meaning we may receive payment for purchases made through the links below. Please visit our disclosure page for more info. 

Here are several books on money to help guide the high schoolers, college students, or other young adults in your life:

1. Malik’s First Job: Financial Tips for Teens and Young Adults, by Kerwyn S Phillip.  In this short, easy-to-understand book readers are introduced to money management and financial planning concepts anyone starting to earn a paycheck can benefit from learning.
2. Napkin Finance: Build Your Wealth in 30 Seconds or Less, by Tina Hay. This book is an illustrated guide great for visual learners looking for an introduction to personal finance topics.   
3. The Wealthy Gardener: Lessons on Prosperity Between Father and Son, by John Soforic, Dennis Kleinman, et al. Not a typical financial book, but instead a series of stories and practical wisdom on entrepreneurship and wealth, written by a financially independent father for his own son.
4. Personal Finance 101: From Saving and Investing to Taxes and Loans, an Essential Primer on Personal Finance, by  Alfred Mill and Michele Cagan CPA. This 101 guide from Adams Media, is perfect for personal finance beginners. It introduces money management skills needed to make good financial decisions and grow wealth. 
5. Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money, by Bola Sokunbi. In Bola’s second Clever Girl Finance book she’s teaching readers the value of investing for long-term financial gain, and exploring the difference between earning money and building wealth. This book is especially suited to young women interested in understanding how investing works and taking action towards achieving financial success.   
6. The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life, by J L Collins. What started as a series of letters the author wrote for his daughter became a highly recommended simple approach to wealth that’s easy to understand and implement. Over 6.5K reviews on Amazon averaging 4.8 stars.
7. The F.I.R.E. Planner: A Step-by-Step Workbook to Reach Your Full Financial Potential, by Michael Quan. The author achieved F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retirement Early) at the age of thirty-six through a combination of saving and investing, entrepreneurship, and real estate investing, and now helps others improve their financial literacy and build wealth. This planner is an illustrated interactive guide to F.I.R.E.

Other notable personal finance books we like for teenagers and beyond:

• Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School?: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By, by Cary Siegel 
• I Want More Pizza: Real World Money Skills For High School, College, And Beyond, by Steve Burkholder
• Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole, by Tiffany the Budgetnista Aliche

Let us know if you think we should list any other money books suitable for young adults on this list!