Investing Books - Most of this information is freely available somewhere on the web (see our sites
page), but it can be very helpful to have eveything laid out in a logical, consistent format. I think everyone
should read at least one book from the General Investing section. I also strongly encourage everyone to read
about investor behavior, since that's the source of the most costly investing mistakes. It's covered in the better
general investing books, but I list a couple of dedicated titles for those who have not previously encountered the
topic. The books in the Financial History section are for those who wish to go beyond the basics.
All selections by Alex Frakt.
General Investing - Each of these titles covers all the basics - such as asset allocation, investor behavior,
tax deferred accounts, sample portfolios - that you need to develop an effective portfolio. If your library or
bookstore doesn't stock these, earlier books on investing by Larry Swedroe, Rick Ferri, and John Bogle are perfectly
acceptable substitutes. Note: author name links go to their forum posts.
The
Four Pillars of Investing - by William ("Bill") Bernstein. My favorite
title in this section.
Wise
Investing Made Simple or The
Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need
- by Larry Swedroe
The
Bogleheads' Guide to Investing - by
Taylor Larimore,
Mel Lindauer, and
Michael LeBoeuf
All
About Asset Allocation
- by Rick Ferri
The
Informed Investor - by Frank Armstrong
The
Little Book of Common Sense Investing
- by John "Jack" Bogle
The
Coffeehouse Investor - by
Bill Schultheis. Too light on content for my tastes, but highly readable and thus an excellent
way to introduce the concept of passive investing to those just starting out and perhaps non-investing partners.
Investor Behavior - Investors often act contrary to their own best interests. These books point out common
mistakes that have been uncovered by researchers in the field of behavioral economics and suggest methods for
avoiding them.
Why
Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them
- by Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich
Your
Money and Your Brain: How the New Science of Neuroeconomics Can Help Make You Rich
- by Jason Zweig
Rational
Investing in Irrational Times: How to Avoid the Costly Mistakes Even Smart People Make Today
- by Larry Swedroe
Financial History
Against the
Gods and
Capital Ideas - by Peter L. Bernstein
Devil Take the
Hindmost: A History
of Financial Speculation - by Edward Chancellor
A
Random Walk Down Wall Street
- by Burton Malkiel