The Best Investing Books to Grow Your Portfolio

Investing can seem like somewhat of a minefield. Anyone without formal training, mentorship, or experience in the investing world might be immediately put off by the use of complex jargon and the fear of losing large amounts of money if things go wrong.

Investing can indeed be complex and it’s vital that you make wise, well-informed investments to minimize your risks and maximize your wealth, but that’s not to say that investing isn’t a realistic possibility for everyone.

In this list, you’ll find nine of the best books that give informative and valuable advice to anyone interested in investing. Here, we’ll talk you through each one so that you can find a book that will suit you and help to make investing successfully much more doable.

The Best Investing Books

1. The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham

Originally published in 1949, Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor has received widespread critical acclaim since its release.

Graham talks readers through the strategies and techniques for successfully determining value in the stock market, looking for long-term investments that are less concerned with short-term price changes or market trends.

Benjamin Graham is one of the most notable investment advisors and teachers of the twentieth century, with successful investors including Warren Buffett and Walter Schloss citing his teachings as contributors to their own success. In this updated version, re-released in 2006, The Intelligent Investor includes a preface by Buffett as well as commentary from Jason Zweig.

Graham’s writing style is extremely digestible, providing guidance that’s both informative and engaging. His work has had a huge impact on the investment world and on the techniques and methods used by some of the world’s most successful investors, so for anyone looking to embark on their own investment journey, this book truly is a must-read.

2. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle

Until his recent death in 2019, John C. Bogle was an avid investor, money manager, business magnate, philanthropist, and founder of Vanguard, one of the world’s most successful and respected companies in the industry.

Bogle was also the creator of the world’s first index mutual funds, arguing that the simplest and most effective way of generating long-term wealth through investing is by buying and holding a mutual fund that tracks a broad stock market index, guaranteeing your fair share of stock market returns.

The strategies laid out by Bogle in The Little Book of Common Sense Investing are all centered around index funds and have been credited as having helped millions of investors to successfully reap high returns on their investments.

In this updated publication, Bogle adds further guidance on asset allocation and retirement investing. His advice remains relevant and valuable today and The Little Book of Common Sense Investing encapsulates the foundations of Bogle’s successes in the investment world.

3. The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing by Mel Lindauer, Taylor Larimore and Michael LeBoeuf 

The extent of John C. Bogle’s influence can be seen here, in The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing. ‘The Bogleheads’ is a group made up of avid supporters of Bogle’s theories and strategies. In this irreverent investment guide, Lindauer, Larimore, and LeBoeuf provide a comprehensive and digestible guide to getting on the road to investment success, using the principles first laid out by Bogle himself.

The guide shows readers how to devise an effective investment strategy by diversifying their portfolio, starting early, making well-informed investments, and investing regularly; keeping costs and taxes low to maximize power and profits.

The Bogleheads’ Guide is informative, easy-to-read, and humorous, removing any unnecessary or disengaging jargon and making the stock market accessible to all. Where some investment books may be a little bland or discouraging, this guide is an enjoyable read that also has some great advice on offer.

4. The Lifestyle Investor by Justin Donald

In this Number One Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Justin Donald tells readers exactly how they could achieve a higher quality of life with more money, more freedom, and less work.

The Lifestyle Investor covers numerous investment topics including reducing investment risks while creating immediate cash flow and generating passive streams of income through your investments.

Donald’s approach is premised upon what he called the ‘ten commandments of lifestyle investing’ and acts as a simple, easy-to-follow guide to lifestyle investing and creating consistent, long-term wealth. His strategy has enabled him and many others to multiply their net worth in short periods of time by making both short and long-term investments that are highly lucrative.

This book is a great starting point for anyone interested in investing. The advice is actionable and the tried-and-tested methods prove that excellent results are achievable if Donald’s guidance is followed.

Low-risk cash flow investing is excellent for beginners and could enable you to get your foot on the investment ladder sooner and more easily than you might previously have believed.

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5. The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner

It’s no secret that investing in real estate can be one of the most lucrative and sustainable investments if done well. Investing in rental property, in particular, can generate considerable wealth by enabling you to secure a consistent stream of passive income.

In The Book on Rental Property Investing, Brandon Turner gives readers four easy-to-follow strategies that can be put into action immediately and will allow you to invest wisely and effectively.

Turner covers the common mistakes real estate investors make and how best to avoid these, as well as how to achieve success in this competitive market no matter how much cash you have to hand. With a wealth of personal experience in rental property investing, Turner shares his own tried-and-tested methods for building considerable wealth in real estate. Everything that you could possibly need to know about investing in rental properties can be found in this bestselling book.

If you’re looking to get into the real estate field or want to maximize your existing profits, this is an excellent seminal guide.

6. Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing by Phil Town

If you’re interested in building your wealth through stock market investing but are worried about the associated risks or feel that you lack the knowledge or experience to do so successfully, Rule #1 by Phil Town should be top of your reading list.

Town is a self-educated investor who has accrued considerable wealth after starting out with very little. The ‘rules’ of investing are laid out in this book, with rule number one being ‘don’t lose money’. It may seem too simple but Town details the exact strategies and techniques that should be utilized to ensure that every investment you make is a successful one.

This step-by-step guide shows readers how to make huge leaps toward true financial success and freedom, even when the market remains uncertain or on a downward spiral. Town takes a no-nonsense approach in this book, giving a refreshingly honest and pragmatic approach to successful investing and making it accessible to all.

7. One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch 

Peter Lynch is an expert investor and mutual fund manager who has had an incredibly successful career as the manager of multiple investment companies. Along with John Rothchild, Lynch has authored three successful investment books, including One Up On Wall Street, which has gone on to sell over a million copies worldwide with considerable critical acclaim.

One Up On Wall Street provides straightforward advice to amateur investors looking to expand their portfolios and maximize their wealth. Lynch explains how investors can review a company’s financial statements to identify good investments and how to find ‘tenbaggers’; stocks that will appreciate tenfold from the initial investment.

Lynch is a leading voice in the investment field and has a plethora of sound advice to offer to investors, no matter what stage they are currently at.

Whether you’re a complete novice or you have considerable experience, Lynch will be sure to provide you with valuable guidance and tips that just might enable you to multiply your profits and achieve true financial freedom through your investments.

8. Thinking, Fast and Slow by David Kahneman 

David Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow offers insights into the way that the human mind works and how this can influence and drive the decisions that we make and our daily actions.

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Kahneman is an expert in finance and investing. In this book, he explores human intuition and its relationship with decision-making that leaves us susceptible to severe systematic errors that could be financially detrimental.

Thinking, Fast and Slow leads readers to consider how they might improve their own decision-making processes when it comes to investing, in an effort to reduce risks and eliminate any expensive mistakes.

With a psychological basis, Thinking, Fast and Slow is an incredibly insightful and interesting book with many lessons that are incredibly relevant to investors. Kahneman explains the two systems that shape our internal thoughts and external actions and highlights the potential flaws in these processes, detailing techniques that can enable investors to guard against these ‘mental glitches’.

A contemporary classic, winner of various literary awards, and a bestselling book; Thinking, Fast and Slow is a great read for anyone who is interested in investing.

9. A Beginner’s Guide to the Stock Market: Everything You Need to Start Making Money Today by Matthew R. Kratter 

Undeniably, investing in the stock market can be intimidating and complicated, particularly if you have no prior experience and are just starting out on your investment journey. That’s why Matthew R. Kratter’s A Beginner’s Guide to the Stock Market is so valuable and is a must-read for anyone who is looking to earn money through investing.

Kratter’s advice is straightforward and digestible, making investing in the stock market simple and doable. He covers the best methods for getting started, setting up your first brokerage account, buying your first stock, generating passive income, trading stocks, avoiding common mistakes, and much more.

It’s important to do plenty of research before investing your money, and this book shows you how to do that and gives you all of the basic guidance you will need to get on the investment road.

Conclusion

All of the books listed here have unique and valuable advice to offer in the world of financial investments.

Picking up any of these books is sure to improve your understanding of investing and enhance your ability to make wise, lucrative investments that will build your wealth and set you on the road to full financial freedom.