A financial planner explains where to start learning about money
Samantha Lee / Business Insider
Certified financial planner Sophia Bera answers:
I want to learn more about money, but it seems like there are a million different books out there. Any recommendations on a few to start?
The wealth of personal finance information out there can be overwhelming, but you don't have to read everything to get a good foundation.
It's one of the reasons my clients hire me. While financial planners used to be the "gate keepers" of information, nowadays, people are overwhelmed by the plethora of information that exists. They want to know: How does all of this apply to me? However, if you're not ready to hire a financial planner, there are a bunch of great resources out there to help you navigate through this financial landscape.
In fact, even reading just one book that offers a nice broad explanation of basic personal finance principles can be enough and you can supplement that book with blogs and podcasts. They're another way to dive into different money topics without a huge time commitment. And if you'd rather learn on the go, downloading audiobooks through Audible is a great option.
Here are some of my favorites:
Books
My friend Mary Beth Storjohann is a CFP® whose writing makes personal finance easy to understand. Her book, "Work Your Wealth: 9 Steps to Making Smarter Choices With Your Money" is a straightforward guide to whip your finances into shape.
Ramit Sethi's book, "I Will Teach You to be Rich," offers a six-week personal finance program for 20-35 year olds. This book makes it easy to make big changes in your life and I like that he focuses more on earning more, rather than slashing all your expenses.
Farnoosh Torabi's book, "You're So Money: Live Rich, Even When You're Not" gives realistic advice. Yes, you can build yourself a nest egg while actually enjoying your life.
If you're realizing now how college or even grad school did little to prepare you to manage your money, my ebook can help. "What You Should Have Learned About Money, But Never Did: A Gen Y Guide to Empowered Personal Finance" will guide you to more organized and knowledgeable money management.
Blogs
J. Money (and his awesome mohawk) gives great advice on Rockstar Finance and Budgets Are Sexy. Check out his budget templates.
If you need some visual aids to truly understand financial concepts, Carl Richards, a CFP® and Venn diagram master, has you covered with his blog, Behavior Gap.
My good friend Paula Pant writes a great blog, Afford Anything. She expertly breaks down complicated concepts, and her detailed accounts of her real estate investments are beloved by people who are considering buying investment properties. She writes long form post and uses herself as a real life example of how to tie together all of these pieces of one's financial life.
Podcasts
Farnoosh's So Money podcast is a great companion to her book. I've been on her podcast a few times so check out Episodes 235 and 419 if you want to hear me answer listeners questions.
For anyone who's considering starting their own online business, Tropical MBA and Smart Passive Income are musts.
Motley Fool Answers tackles listeners' questions on personal finance and investing with wit and wisdom.
Those are some of my favorite resources. If you liked those ideas and you're not on my newsletter list yet, you can join today for more helpful resources and articles geared towards money and millennials. Good luck!
This post is part of a continuing series that answers all of your questions related to personal finance. Have your own question? Email yourmoney[at]businessinsider[dot]com.
Sophia Bera, CFP® is the Founder of Gen Y Planning and has been quoted in The New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, AOL, The Wall Street Journal, and Money Magazine. She tweets, travels, and loves helping millennials manage their money more effectively. Curious? Sign up for the free Gen Y Planning Newsletter.
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