If you have already read my article on Finance, then you want to move to the next level and that is to become as financially literate as much as you can. The only way to advance yourself towards financial literacy is to educate yourself. You owe it to yourself to invest in your own future and in your own success. Ignorance is no longer an option and no longer an excuse especially when information and resources are so readily available. I remember when I was taking my finance courses, I would tell myself that I should never quit learning. Learning is always exciting and always challenging. It’s exciting to learn new things and new ways of doing things but it’s also challenging as with newfound knowledge comes responsibility. Once you learn how to do something better and learn how to advance yourself, you owe it to yourself to adopt these new principles and insights into your lifestyle. Learning something that will make a difference in your life, in the life of others, or make a difference in your surroundings and then doing nothing about it is as bad as not learning it at all. I still look at my notes that I took while at Florida International University from time to time. I still research stocks, companies, investment opportunities, and business-related topics. I am always reading articles from Bloomberg, Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSN Money and others. What I’m trying to say is that you owe it to yourself to be aware of all the information available to you. 

Invest in Yourself!

There is a Proverb I keep in my mind daily and I think of it repeatedly. It says, “Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well” (Prov 23:23). I encourage you to invest in your knowledge and professional growth as no one else is going to do that for you. No one is going to take you by the hand and give you all the knowledge,  wisdom, insights and understanding you need to make the right decisions and seize the right opportunities that are available to you each and every day. That is something you must do for yourself. Don’t think that you are wasting your money when you buy books, pay for valid information or spend to elevate yourself personally and professionally. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true. If you are not investing in yourself, you are costing yourself more money in the long run. That $10 you didn’t spend on that book to educate yourself that would have possibly made you thousands or millions is a very small investment compared to what you would have gained. Don’t deny yourself information because you don’t feel you need to invest in yourself. The wealthy spend money to either make more money or to become more knowledgeable about an area that will help them in the process. Remember, pay for wisdom, pay for instruction, pay for insights, pay for knowledge and in return your reward will be exponentially greater than the few dollars you spend.

Books I have read

Aside from the articles I read and research that I do, here are some of my top pick books to become more financially acute and on your journey towards joining the road of the wealthy.

Rich Dad Poor Dad – I read this book when a friend of mine lent it to me a few years ago – Thanks Mark! Robert Kiyosaki shares his personal journey towards becoming wealthy and this book continues to be a favorite in the financial community. It’s an easy read and I recommend it as a first pick if you are just starting out. You can purchase it here:

The Most Important Thing Illuminated – This book was written by billionaire Howard Marks and in it he shares his experience of real-world investing. He looks at technical vs fundamental analysis and shares his views on both.  The book gives Marks’ thoughts on risks and opportunities in the market and reveals his pitfalls as well as his successes. A very transparent look into the life of a billionaire and his thought process is what this book will give you. Buy it on Amazon here: