Since April is Financial Literacy Month, I thought it would be fun to post a few of my sources for prescient financial information. One resource you always have is on our website: LPL's Weekly Market Commentary. LPL posts every Monday around mid-day with a topical piece explaining issues of the week. Every month they update their global portfolio strategy talking about the changes their team is making to portfolios and why. I didn't have a whole podcast section, but I love the Ramsey Show. It's on every day and you get to hear from real people navigating their financial lives. It can be really inspiring and keep you motivated as you work toward your goals.
Books
- Total Money Makeover
- This book flipped the switch for my personal finance journey and started me on the path of becoming a financial planner. It also transformed my personal finances, my parents', my in-laws', and many of our family members'.
- Dave walks through his Baby Steps, money myths, and how to build wealth. I give this to everyone I know as a wedding gift and can't recommend it any more.
- Love Your Life, Not Theirs
- This book is a good foray into Dave Ramsey's teaching while coming at it from a softer angle. Rachel Cruze is Dave's daughter and she brings a young, fresh perspective on money. Especially in the Social Media world we live in, she talks a lot about contentment and not trying to keep up with the Joneses.
- The Psychology of Money
- This book talks about behavioral finance and why people act the way they do with money. It's a quick read and uses normal words to explain complex topics.
- The Ascent of Money
- Admittedly I haven't read this, but it's on my list and breaks down the history of money.
- Basic Economics
- Warning this is very dense. Anything Thomas Sowell writes is tremendous; he breaks down virtually every economic issue to first principles and explains how the world works. No charts or graphs either. Simply a masterpiece.
Blogs/Websites/Newsletters
- Ramsey Solutions
- Dave Ramsey's team does a great job posting regular, timely information. They will often update old posts with the most up-to-date information.
- They cover the gambit: investments, financial planning, insurance, job hunting, business building, and more.
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich
- I am a new follower of Ramit, but he has a unique perspective on financial planning topics for the modern world. I do not agree with everything he puts out there, nevertheless this blog is a good resource.
- First Trust's Monday Morning Outlook
- Their tagline is "The Antidote to Conventional Wisdom"
- Brian Wesbury, their chief economist, has a unique, sometimes brash perspective on the economy. He doesn't mince words. While it can be a little technical with how markets and economies work, I think it is accessible for normal people as well and I have used his posts in messages to clients in the past
“The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavourable. Favourable conditions never come.” - C.S. Lewis