Five books to help sort out your personal finances

Coins in piles and in a jar, with an open book behind

There are some changes to taxes in 2024-25, including cuts to tax-free allowances for capital gains and dividends

(Image credit: baona / Getty Images)

published 3 April 2024

As the new financial year begins (on 6 April), it's a good time to review your personal finances.

The 2024-25 tax year brings some changes, including cuts to tax-free allowances for capital gains and dividends, so check that your savings, investments and financial planning are in the best shape possible.

In this book, the "most pressing topics are covered" said Reader's Digest, and the author, a Financial Times columnist, "dives into a range of money issues, discussing the psychology and reasoning behind them". It tackles "some of the daunting aspects" of money management, including debt, credit cards, saving and investing, and makes them "simple and manageable". Detailed are "seven habits to help you unlock financial independence", said MoneyMagpie, which are both "realistic and achievable".

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After 25 years this is still a "top personal finance book", said Investopedia, with its central premise of "it's not how much money you make, but how much you keep". It "cites the lessons" from both a "'rich dad', a friend's father who rises from humble beginnings to create a lucrative business" and a "'poor dad'", the author's father, "a highly educated government employee". Each chapter ends with a study section. Kiyosaki has written 12 books, "all banging the drum about financial education, financial freedom, having a better relationship with money and making your cash work for you", said The Times Money Mentor.

"An indispensable instruction manual for all ages", this covers "all things personal finance", said The Times Money Mentor, from student loans and savings to pensions. It also broadens the scope by looking at "other areas such as money and mental health, and how we manage money in relationships". Whateley "cuts through all the panic of personal finances", said Metro. Her book is a "perfect resource for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the thought of learning about investing, as it starts with the basics".

The bestselling author and presenter "wants to get to the root of our worries and show us why we need to think differently about money", said The Observer. And by "showing people how to save and invest even small sums regularly", Sethi helps them spend more on "what he calls their 'guilt-free' pleasures", which could be "more time with your kids, flying business class, or unlimited cappuccinos". A lot of the book's tips seem "perfect for a beginner who is learning the basics of key financial fundamentals", like "understanding your credit score", said Business Insider.

The presenter of the BBC Radio 4 show of the same name has written "an unexpectedly funny womb-to-tomb guide to looking after your money in Britain today", said The Telegraph. Everyone who reads it will find fresh information on "the laws, the loopholes, the pitfalls, and who to call if it all goes wrong". If you're reluctant to take a closer look at your financial situation, "Lewis drags your ostrich head out of the sand; then, as you survey the bewildering landscape, he holds your quivering ostrich claw".

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Adrienne Wyper has been a freelance sub-editor and writer for The Week's website and magazine since 2015. As a travel and lifestyle journalist, she has also written and edited for other titles including BBC Countryfile, British Travel Journal, Coast, Country Living, Country Walking, Good Housekeeping, The Independent, The Lady and Woman’s Own.