October is National Book Month, so we’re celebrating by providing you a list of our favorite personal finance and financial wellness books. We know that money and finances can be intimidating, but the books on this list are on a mission to make finance more relatable, actionable and even a little fun sometimes. Make it a goal to read one (or maybe more!) of these books this month. You can follow along on our Instagram and Facebook too where we do a Book of the Week every week in October! 

Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together by Erin Lowry 

This book is excellent for the 20- to 30- somethings out there looking for advice on how they can stop living paycheck to paycheck. Lowry does a great job of taking traditionally “boring” topics (budgeting, credit card debt, etc.) and makes them fun and relatable. The book is both an easy read and packed with hilarious true stories.

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin 

This book, a New York Times bestseller, takes a different look than most at personal finance. It asks the important question: - Hhow much money are you willing to trade your life for? It helps you to uncover the “why” behind your saving and spending and helps you to consciously make better decisions about how you spend and budget your money. 

Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein 

A New York Times bestseller and Best Book of the Year by both The Economist and the Financial Times, this book is a must-read. It’s all about why we make the choices we do and how we can change to make better ones. By understanding how we think, we can make better decisions for ourselves and for those around us. 

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

This one was recommended by our own Ahmed Siddiqui, our Head of Product and resident payments guru. The book explores the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and and also teaches you about how to talk to your children about money in a way that prepares them for future financial success. It’s perfect for parents out there!

You are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero 

This book is a little different than the others on the list— - it’s more of a cheerful manifesto and complete shift in mindset than it is a traditional personal finance book. In the book, Sincero uses hilarious essays on uncovering what’s holding you back from making money, how to re-shape your reality, and how to get past your doubts and fear to get to be as wealthy as you want to be. 

The Anatomy of the Swipe: Making Money Move by Ahmed Siddiqui 

Written by Branch’s Head of Product, Ahmed Siddiqui, this book is near and dear to our hearts. What happens during a swipe of a credit card? The payments system in the United States is more than complicated, but Siddiqui breaks it down in a simple, easy-to-understand way. Those who understand it? They’re on their way to unlocking multi-billion dollar opportunities. 

We hope you enjoy these reads and much as we did! Head over to our Instagram to see the complete discussion of these books.