Save financial master classes for another day; this season delivers sorely needed offerings that explain the basics of saving, budgeting, and investing, with particular attention paid to those who don’t come from generational wealth.

Broke Millennial Workbook

Erin Lowry. TarcherPerigee, May 2023

The fourth offering in the Broke Millennial series applies Lowry’s trademark you-can-do-it attitude to a series of exercises, questions for self-reflection, and checklists designed to help readers get their financial lives in order. She doles out advice on topics both pragmatic (how to build an emergency fund) and sensitive (how to talk to friends and family about money), all intended to help readers put their financial lives in order.

Building Wealth on a Dime

Kimberly Hamilton. Wiley, Dec.

Laying a solid money foundation is particularly challenging when you’re starting without much of it, says financial educator Hamilton. Using members of her Beworth Finance community as examples, she provides a blueprint for readers of modest means or in their first jobs, with tips for debt elimination, budgeting, long-term money planning, and saving for a first home.

How to Invest

Peter Stanyer, Masood Javaid, and Stephen Satchell. Economist Books, Mar. 2023

Economists Stanyer, Javaid, and Satchell start from the premise that investing is no longer as simple as buying an index fund and holding it until you retire. New technologies, such as those relating to cryptocurrencies and personal investing apps, broaden investors’ choices but can also bewilder. The authors explain the expanded options for those looking to grow their wealth.

Retirement Reboot

Mark Miller. Agate, Jan. 2023

Many Americans put retirement savings on hold during the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, or came to realize their savings plan had never been sufficient in the first place, says journalist Miller, who writes about retirement for Reuters, the New York Times, and other outlets. He advises readers on adjustments that can get them on track—even if they hope to retire in the next few years—such as planning for long-term care, tapping home equity, and emergency budgeting.

So... This Is Why I’m Broke

Melissa Jean-Baptiste. Mango, May 2023

Jean-Baptiste, a first generation Haitian American who writes and produces videos for the Millennial in Debt digital platform, paid off more than $100,000 of debt while teaching high school in New York City. Her strategies for budgeting, repairing a low credit score,
and investing are all aimed at helping readers improve their financial literacy.

Wealth Warrior

Linda García. Legacy Lit, Apr. 2023

TV programming veteran Garcia founded In Luz We Trust, a platform geared toward helping BIPOC newbie investors make bank. She urges readers to break out of scarcity mindsets and get past generational money trauma in order to thrive financially. Separating emotions from money is key, she writes, in this guide to evaluating and buying stocks, making a financial plan, and committing to the belief that you deserve it all.

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