8 Finance Books Distilled into 50 Words or Less

The Takeaway: Perfect for budgeting beginners, Von Tobel swears by the perfect-for-budgeting-beginners 50/20/30 rule—aka 50 percent of your income goes to essentials like rent and groceries, 20 percent goes to financial priorities like paying off debt or building an emergency savings and 30 percent covers your lifestyle. (Yay, eating out!)

The Takeaway: If you’re afraid to talk about money, not even the best financial counselor in the world could help you double your cash. What will help is getting specific: What are your spending goals? How much do they cost? How will you feel when you achieve them? (The details matter.)

The Takeaway: Attention parents: You don’t have to be good at math to be good with money. The little things (like delayed gratification and teaching kids how to set aside cash for spending, saving and giving) are the best indicators that your kids will fare better financially as adults.

The Takeaway: Employee perk alert: Financial wellness programs (basically, complimentary money coaching) are becoming a popular benefit offered by employers. Don’t have one? Davidson breaks it down: a 401(k) match, FSA, free legal services and more could be money you’re leaving on the table. (Her road map: Talk to HR.)

The Takeaway: Like it or not, money is one of the most meaningful relationships of our lives. But things we value often don’t line up with how we spend. Kate’s advice: Put the “oxygen mask” on yourself first. (Be honest—with others and yourself—about purchases that are sabotaging your goals.)

The Takeaway: This one’s a road map to financial security in the form of a five-month “save yourself” plan. Suze boils down the most important to-dos for long-term security: Fix your FICO score (yep, it’s possible), set up dedicated checking and saving accounts and actually write a will.

The Takeaway: According to Dave, all debt is bad. (He says keeping up with the Joneses is what gets us there in the first place.) His approach: Set a budget, handle late bills hurting your credit, then set aside $1,000 in emergency savings. From there, he’s all about the snowball approach.

The Takeaway: Money requires prioritizing. That’s why Farnoosh recommends handling needs (taxes, retirement, housing, food) before debt. But after those bases are covered, she’s all about smart investments, like moving money to an online bank. Oh, and this sage advice: If you aren’t 100 percent sure you need it, skip it.