As new year is approaching each one of us want to grow. So if you are looking to improve your money mindset, business decisions, and financial confidence in 2026? Here are 10 powerful books personally recommended by Sangeeta Sharma, ex-banker and founder of Smart Credit with Sangeeta
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Most of us were never taught how money actually works. Neither in school nor at home or not even in college. As a former Credit Officer and now a finance mentor, I’ve seen one common pattern: people are smart, hardworking, and sincere but what I feel is that their understanding of money, business and risk is incomplete. And that’s when I realize a this and books changed that for me better to say till now they are changing. Growing up in a lower middle class family rather say a poor family where getting 2 times food was very hard. But my father who was just a labour in a sugar factory and my mother who was a house wife both illiterate decided to change the fate of their children. Since my father worked in a sugar factory, he observed closely that all the people who supervised him were educated. And that had hit him and then there came a angel in his life my first school principal Mr Hemant Bora who was highly educated, just had a dream to teach children even if he had to do this for free with no money in his pocket. He met my father and convinced him to get me into his school without worrying about the fees. For someone like my parents it was not easy to get their girl child at that time into a CBSE school (my parents say it was my fate) but what i believe it was there then vision to change the fate of their children. Since it was going hard for them 3 children in CBSE school with fees, books, food, clothing everything to manage so my father decided to work extra hard. He bought 2 cows to sell milk along with his 8-5 job. He would get up at 4 am and sleep by 10 in night. I agree his hard work paid off we are well settled, doing good in life. But growing in that atmosphere where money was fear, a extra expense would lead to panic in the family, it was really not easy for me to understand money, finance and risk.
But these books helped me and changed my belief for money that’s when i decided to share this precious journey with you. So today, I’m sharing 10 books that have the power to change the way you think about money, business, risk, wealth, and life itself and especially if you’re an MSME entrepreneur, working professional, banker, or a woman rebuilding her financial confidence.
👉 You can find all 10 books in one place here:
– The Psychology of Money → Link
– Let’s Talk Money → Link
– Rich Dad Poor Dad → Link
– Zero to One → Link
– Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs → Link
– The Millionaire Fastlane → Link
– We Should All Be Millionaires → Link
– Think and Grow Rich → Link
– Atomic Habits → Link
– The Almanack of Naval Ravikant → Link
1. The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
If you read only one money book this year, start with this. The Psychology of Money doesn’t talk about complex formulas or stock tips. It simply talks about something far more powerful i.e. behaviour. Why some people with average income become wealthy and why some high-income people stay broke. And how greed, fear, ego and comparison silently ruin good financial decisions.
This book will help you:
- Respect the role of luck and risk
- Stop copying others’ financial choices blindly
- Think long-term with calm and clarity
It’s simple, story-based and very real. Perfect for beginners and advanced readers alike.
2. Let’s Talk Money – Monika Halan
If you are an Indian woman, working professional or homemaker, this book is non-negotiable.
Let’s Talk Money is like sitting with a sensible elder sister who explains:
- How to structure your salary
- Why emergency fund is non-negotiable
- How to think about insurance, mutual funds, debt and retirement
There is no drama unlike serials, infact no product pushing this book provide you with just clean, practical advice in Indian context. It’s especially powerful for women who have always taken a back seat in money matters and now want to take charge without fear or confusion.
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
This book is my favourite in the list. Yes, I know it’s popular, over-quoted and but it still matters.
Rich Dad Poor Dad is not a technical finance book. It is a mindset book that forces you to question:
- Am I working only for a salary?
- Do I understand assets vs liabilities?
- Am I building something that will pay me when I stop working?
For many people, this is the first book that makes them think beyond job, EMI and tax-saving. If you have never read it, 2026 is a good year to start.
4. Zero to One – Peter Thiel
If you are an entrepreneur, want to start a business, or advise MSMEs, this book is a sharp reality check. Zero to One is about creating something new, not copying what already exists.
It talks about:
- Why monopoly in business is not a bad word
- How real innovation looks
- Why “competition” can sometimes be a trap
For MSME founders and consultants, this book helps you ask a powerful question:
“Is my business really unique or am I just one more option in the market?”
5. Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs – Karen Berman
This is the book I wish every MSME owner, DSA, branch manager and banker would read.
Most entrepreneurs are scared of:
- Balance sheets
- P&L statements
- Cash flow
- Ratios
Not because they’re weak but because nobody explained it in simple language.
Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs breaks business numbers into plain English and helps you understand:
- What your financial statements are really telling you
- How to read beyond profit to see risk
- How to make better business decisions using numbers
If you want to become bankable and confident in front of lenders, this is a strong start.
6. The Millionaire Fastlane – MJ DeMarco
This book is not polite. Yes it challenges traditional advice like “work for 30 years, save 10%, and retire at 60.” The Millionaire Fastlane is about building high-leverage businesses that speed up your financial journey, not by shortcuts, but by smarter models.
It’s especially useful if:
- You feel stuck in the slow lane
- You want to build something bigger than a single salary
- You’re exploring digital products, consulting, or scalable services
Read this when you’re ready to question the “normal” life script.
7. We Should All Be Millionaires – Rachel Rodgers
This is a powerful and unapologetic book for women who are tired of playing small.
It talks about:
- Why women are socially conditioned to feel guilty about money
- How undercharging and overgiving keeps them stuck
- How to step into a confident, wealth-building identity
If you’re a woman entrepreneur, coach, consultant or professional who wants to earn more without apology, this book will speak directly to you.
8. Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
A classic book I think almost every successful person has either read it or heard about it. Think and Grow Rich is not about “manifestation magic”.
It is about:
- Clarity of desire
- Discipline of thought
- Persistence in action
Some language and examples may feel old, but the core principles are timeless. Read it slowly, with a notebook. Let it challenge your patterns.
9. Atomic Habits – James Clear
This book has changed my life, how i think and do things. It can be Money, career, health, relationships everything improves when your habits improve.
Atomic Habits gives a science-backed system for:
- Building good habits that last
- Breaking bad patterns without willpower drama
- Designing your environment to support your goals
For entrepreneurs, students and professionals, this is a practical manual for consistency and self-mastery. Perfect to read at the beginning of a new year, financial year, or a new chapter of life.
10. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant – Eric Jorgenson
This is not a traditional “finance” book, but it goes deep into:
- Wealth
- Happiness
- Leverage
- Decision-making
Naval’s ideas help you think about:
- Building wealth without losing your peace
- Using technology, capital and people as leverage
- Focusing on long-term, compounding efforts
If you’re stepping into a bigger role as a consultant, strategist or founder, this book will sharpen your thinking.
How to Use This List (Instead of Just Saving It)
Don’t try to read all 10 at once please use them like your 12-month growth plan. May be these books help change your new year 2026 completely
Here’s a simple approach:
- Step 1: Pick 1 book for money mindset
Start with The Psychology of Money or Rich Dad Poor Dad. - Step 2: Pick 1 book for business thinking
Zero to One or Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs. - Step 3: Pick 1 book for personal discipline
Atomic Habits or Think and Grow Rich. - Step 4: Pick 1 book especially for women (if applicable)
Let’s Talk Money or We Should All Be Millionaires.
Even 4 books read deeply can change how you earn, save, spend and build your financial future.
My Personal Note to You
I’ve seen how the wrong understanding of money can make even confident people doubt themselves. You don’t have to figure it all out in one night but you can decide that from this year onwards, you will not stay financially blind.
Books are one of the most affordable and powerful teachers we have. If you pick even one and start reading this week, that is already a powerful financial decision.
Reading books builds clarity, but growth comes when we apply what we learn every single day. That’s why I created my own Finance & Productivity Journal for people who want to:
- save more consciously
- reduce unnecessary expenses
- build wealthy habits
- plan their goals month-wise
- track gratitude & mindset
If you want to read these books and actually transform your financial life in 2026, this journal will support you every step of the way.
👉 Order your journal here: Order Now
Books open the mind.
Journaling rewires it.
Together, they change your reality.
👉 You can find all 10 books in one place here:
– The Psychology of Money → Link
– Let’s Talk Money → Link
– Rich Dad Poor Dad → Link
– Zero to One → Link
– Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs → Link
– The Millionaire Fastlane → Link
– We Should All Be Millionaires → Link
– Think and Grow Rich → Link
– Atomic Habits → Link
– The Almanack of Naval Ravikant → Link