LIBERTY ATLANTIC UK / READING RESOURCES
Reading resources
Good decisions about money rarely come from a single insight. They come from understanding how markets behave, being clear about what your wealth is for, and knowing the rules that apply to you. This page brings together a selection of books and guides that we think are worth your time.
We include views we don’t always share. Some of these authors argue that most investors are best served by low-cost index funds; others make the case for researching and selecting individual companies. Reading both sides is the best way to understand the trade-offs.
Titles marked US-focused describe American accounts, funds or tax rules: the principles travel well, but the practical details do not, so please don’t apply them in the UK without advice – particularly if you are a US taxpayer.
Start here
If you read only a handful, begin with these.
The Psychology of Money
– Morgan Housel, 2020
Short, engaging essays on why behaviour matters more than knowledge when building wealth.
Smarter Investing
– Tim Hale, 2006
An evidence-based guide to setting objectives and building a sensible portfolio, written for UK investors and UK tax wrappers.
The Little Book of Common-Sense Investing
– John C. Bogle, 2007 · US-focused
The founder of Vanguard makes the case for low-cost index investing in plain language.
One Up on Wall Street
– Peter Lynch with John Rothchild,1989 · US-focused
A celebrated fund manager makes the case for researching individual businesses, not simply buying familiar names.
The Behaviour Gap
– Carl Richards, 2012
Simple sketches and stories showing how emotional decisions get in the way of good investing.
How to Fund the Life You Want
– Robin Powell & Jonathan Hollow, 2022
A practical UK guide linking life goals to savings, pensions and investing.
The Meaningful Money Retirement Guide
– Pete Matthew, 2025
A UK guide to preparing for retirement, making the move from work and planning once retired.
Investing
Understanding investing
A Random Walk Down Wall Street
– Burton G. Malkiel, 1973 · US-focused
A long-running guide to how markets work and why most investors struggle to beat them.
Winning the Loser's Game
– Charles D. Ellis, 1998 · US-focused
Argues that successful investing is mostly about avoiding mistakes rather than finding winners.
Investing Demystified
– Lars Kroijer, 2013
A clear, UK-published explanation of simple, diversified portfolios from a former hedge fund manager.
Investing for Growth
– Terry Smith, 2020
A British fund manager's case for owning high-quality businesses for the long term.
How to Pick Quality Shares
– Phil Oakley, 2017
A UK-written guide to judging a company's quality, cash flow, debt and valuation.
The Laws of Wealth
– Daniel Crosby, 2016
Practical rules for managing your own behaviour, written by a psychologist.
Your Money and Your Brain
– Jason Zweig, 2007
An accessible look at what neuroscience reveals about our worst financial instincts.
Same as Ever
– Morgan Housel, 2023
Why the things that don't change in markets and human nature matter more than forecasts.
Just Keep Buying
– Nick Maggiulli, 2022 · US-focused
A data-driven, jargon-free guide to saving and investing consistently while building wealth.
Going deeper
The Most Important Thing
– Howard Marks, 2011
How a leading professional investor thinks about risk, cycles and avoiding big losses.
Mastering the Market Cycle
– Howard Marks, 2018
Why economic, credit and sentiment cycles matter to investors, and how to think about where we are in them.
The Art of Execution
– Lee Freeman-Shor, 2015
Case studies showing how the handling of winning and losing positions shapes investors' results.
The Intelligent Investor
– Benjamin Graham, 1949 · US-focused
The foundational text on margin of safety and investor temperament, best read with Jason Zweig's modern commentary.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
– Daniel Kahneman, 2011
The landmark work on the mental shortcuts and biases behind many investment mistakes.
Against the Gods
– Peter L. Bernstein, 1996
A readable history of how we came to measure and manage risk.
Triumph of the Optimists
– Elroy Dimson, Paul Marsh & Mike Staunton, 2002
The long-run historical evidence on global investment returns, with strong UK roots.
Financial and retirement planning
Can I retire?
Your Retirement Salary
– Richard Dyson & Richard Evans, 2019
A practical UK look at turning pension savings into a retirement income, including withdrawals and annuities.
How to Retire
– Christine Benz, 2024 · US-focused
Retirement lessons from 20 experts, covering both money and life after work.
Die With Zero
– Bill Perkins, 2020 · US-focused
A provocative challenge to over-saving that prompts a useful conversation about when enough is enough.
Your Money or Your Life
– Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez, 1992
A classic on aligning spending and work with what you value.
The Financial Times Guide to Wealth Management
– Jason Butler, 2012
A broad UK wealth-planning framework; read it for the framework rather than the rules, which have since changed.
Family wealth
Complete Family Wealth
– James E. Hughes Jr., Susan E. Massenzio & Keith Whitaker, 2017 · US-focused
On children, inheritance, family meetings and the purpose of wealth.
Preparing Heirs
– Roy Williams & Vic Preisser, 2003 · US-focused
Practical guidance on preparing the next generation and communicating family values.
Going deeper
Beyond the 4% Rule
– Abraham Okusanya, 2018
A UK-focused analysis of sustainable withdrawals, longevity and sequence risk in retirement portfolios.
The Missing Billionaires
– Victor Haghani & James White, 2023 · US-focused
Rigorous but readable on sizing risk and setting sustainable spending, suited to numerate readers.
Tax planning
UK tax
Tolley's Tax Guide
– LexisNexis
The authoritative UK tax reference, written for practitioners rather than general readers.
Americans in the UK
Publication 54: Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad
– IRS (free) · US-focused
The official US guidance on filing obligations for Americans living abroad; not a complete US–UK planning guide.
Read official guidance ↗
Instructions for Form 8621 (PFIC reporting)
– IRS (free) · US-focused
The authoritative reference on reporting and elections for passive foreign investment companies (PFICs) – non-US funds that US tax rules treat harshly.
Read official guidance ↗
US–UK Income Tax Treaty and Estate & Gift Tax Treaty
– HMRC / IRS (free)
The primary sources on double taxation and cross-border estates; treaties reduce, but do not remove, every mismatch.
Important information
These resources are for general education only and are not personal investment, pension, legal or tax advice. Inclusion does not mean that we endorse every view expressed. Rules and individual circumstances differ, particularly where more than one country is involved.
The value of investments and any income from them can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance, including the historical returns discussed in several of these books, is not a reliable indicator of future results. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change in future.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
A PERSONAL CONVERSATION
Let’s start something new.
Whether you’re thinking about when you can step back from work, how to support your children, or what you want the next chapter to look like, we’ll help you plan for the life you want. We can meet in person or online, whichever suits you best.
Start a conversation ↗
Liberty Atlantic UK is an Appointed Representative of Alex De Silva & Co Limited, trading as Alex De Silva & Co Wealth Managers. Alex De Silva & Co Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Companies House No. 9644496. FCA Register No. 712630. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.