Personal finance is more personal than finance.
I believe the best way to learn is through reading and doing.
I’ve already written about books like If You Can and The Art of Spending Money.
These books are great and they really helped me on my money journey.
If you are wondering which books to start with, look no further than these three.
1. The Geometry of Wealth by Brian Portnoy
If you want to start learning about money, you have to begin with its purpose.
If you get it wrong, then it’s like setting off on a journey with a wrong destination.
No matter what map you buy, you’ll still end up lost.
Brian argues that the point of money is not accumulation, but funded contentment.
The purpose of money is to bring us closer to the 4 Cs.
No, not credit card, condo, car, or country club.
Connection: building relationships with friends, family, and community.
Control: Having autonomy over your life choices.
Competence: Mastery over skills and work.
Context: Belonging to a larger purpose
I find that much of the personal finance content out there is about getting more money.
Brian shows us what it’s for.
2. The Four Pillars of Investing by William Bernstein
Yes, there’s an investing book in here.
We can’t talk about personal finance without talking about investing.
And there are plenty of great investing books out there.
In fact, you might be surprised that the most famous book, John Bogle’s Little Book of Common Sense Investing, is not in this list.
And you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s also a fantastic book.
Bill doesn’t just teach us how to invest.
He also teaches us about the history, the theory, and the psychology behind it.
Did I mention that he’s a neurologist, too?
He covers lessons that are aplenty within this blog.
Risk and return are joined at the hip. You can’t have return without some risk.
Frictions are our greatest enemy in personal finance. Fees, costs, and taxes are some of the greatest threats to investment returns.
Don’t fall prey to common biases. As humans, we are prone to mistakes due to fear and greed, overconfidence, and recency biases.
If you can master the lessons within, you will be one of the greatest investors in Singapore.
3. Money and Me by Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements was a personal finance columnist at the Wall Street Journal.
He passed away at the age of 62 from lung cancer in 2025.
This was the final book that he wrote.
On one hand, he guides the reader to financial independence.
On the other hand, he cautions against being overly frugal.
He would know.
He talks about how money is meant to be shared, used, and enjoyed, not hoarded until death.
If there is anyone with the wisdom to talk about the best use of money, it is Mr. Clements.
All three of these books have left their mark on me.
I hope you can learn from their wisdom too.
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