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Money itself has no gender, but women may have different financial concerns than men. They (still!) earn less than men for the same work. They may time out of the workforce to be caregivers, reducing their lifetime earnings. To top it off, women tend to live longer, so they may have to fund a longer retirement. This financial trifecta means that women need to be smart about money.
See: 10 Smartest Ways To Make Your Money Work for You, According to Experts
Learn: 8 Top Ways To Become Rich Without Investing in Stocks
Here are some good books to help women up their financial game.
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‘Get Good With Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole’ by Tiffany Aliche
Tiffany Aliche is known on social media as The Budgetnista, and she is on a one-woman mission to educate other women on personal finance, particularly women of color. After digging herself out of a financial hole, she is using what she learned to help others discover financial security. From determining your baseline budget to deciding whether you need to make more or spend less to taking charge of your credit score and much more, this book is a roadmap for your journey to taking charge of your finances.
‘Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford’ by Kristin Wong
If you avoid taking charge of your money because you don’t ‘get’ it, this is the book for you. Kristin Wong, writer and personal finance expert, walks you through how to take control of your finances with a series of challenges that make managing your money almost seem like fun. Readers will learn how to pay off high-interest debt, create a budget, boost your credit score, earn more money with a side hustle and start investing. This is an educational and entertaining read.
‘Bad With Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together’ by Gaby Dunn
If you’ve ever looked at your bank balance at the end of the month and just said, “I’m just bad with money,” this book is for you. It demystifies the relationship most people have with money, and explores why we don’t talk about it — often until it’s too late. Gaby Dunn takes on the stigma around money and the helpless feeling so many people have. This book is directed at everyone, not just women, but it speaks to the fears many women have. Dunn also has a podcast called “Bad With Money.”
‘Women With Money: The Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and, Yes, Rich) Life You Deserve’ by Jean Chatzky
Jean Chatzky has been writing about women and money for years, and her straightforward wisdom is timeless. She boils it all down to a three-point plan for you to:
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Explore your relationship with money.
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Take control of the money you have.
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Use that money to create the life you want.
Whether the solution for you is to start your own business, get paid what you’re worth or invest for a secure financial future, Chatzky will help you get there.
‘Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping by And Get Your Financial Life Together’ by Erin Lowry
While this is not a book that is written for women specifically, it contains valuable advice for millennials and Gen-Z, regardless of gender. In her no-nonsense, non-judgmental way, Lowry offers practical advice for everything from negotiating salary to paying off student loans to saving for retirement. She is not an economist or a financial planner, so she makes sense of financial concepts in a way that mere mortals can understand. Lowry has authored several other books on personal finance and has a helpful blog, accessible on her website, Broke Millenial.
‘Personal Finance for Women: Achieve Financial Freedom and Fain Financial Independence with a Money Mindset Makeover’ by Amy York
The reason a lot of personal finance recommendations don’t work is because they don’t get to the root of the problem: the mindset about money. Amy York starts there and helps readers to understand how to turn a scarcity mindset into an abundance mindset, thereby overcoming challenges like impulsive spending, hoarding and avoidance. This book is part of the Money Mindset series.
‘On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl’s Guide to Personal Finance’ by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar
This book was first published in 2007 and has recently been updated, but the advice still holds true. Readers will learn the importance of — and techniques for — living within your means, saving for important purchases and retirement and the best ways to manage credit. Given all that’s happened in the financial world since this book was first published, and the fact that it’s every bit as applicable to today’s economy, tells you that “On My Own Two Feet” is a classic guide to managing money.
‘The Infographic Guide to Personal Finance: A Visual Reference for Everything You Need to Know’ by Michele Cagan and Elisabeth Lariviere
This book is not written specifically for women per se, but it’s a great reference for those who are visual learners. If you can read page after page of text about managing your money but you just can’t seem to get it, try this book. It’s a series of infographics that visually portray important financial lessons about budgeting, saving, spending, credit, investing and more. A great basic guide for recent graduates or those who are new to the workforce.
‘We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth and Gaining Economic Power’ by Rachel Rodgers
Managing the money you earn is only half the battle — the other half is making sure you’re paid what you’re worth. Sometimes, the best way to do that is to go into business for yourself, and Rachel Rodgers can help you do that. Rodgers also founded Hello Seven, an organization that offers training and coaching services to traditionally underrepresented business owners to help them in their quest to have seven figures in the bank.
‘Fearless Finances: A Timeless Guide to Building Wealth’ by Cassandra Cummings
Another book that goes beyond budgeting and saving, “Fearless Finances,” teaches women how to invest their money to create wealth and build a legacy. Author Cassandra Cummings founded the Stocks and Stilettos Society, dedicated to helping women — especially women of color — grow their wealth by investing, and has built an online community of over 100,000 women.
Whether you’re just starting out and are looking for advice on creating a budget, or you’re staring retirement in the face and trying to figure out how to make it work, dig in to some of these books for help. It’s never too late to start managing your money the smart way.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Best Personal Finance Books for Women