Learning & Resources
Free tools and reading to build your money plan: the PFL Roadmap, the books we recommend most, and the Personal Finance Library blog. Everything here is education, with no products sold.
The PFL Roadmap
Seven checkpoints from "where does my money go?" to money that works for you. Check off each task, track your progress, and run your own numbers. Nothing to download and no sign-up.
- Set your budget
- Sort fixed vs. variable expenses
- Check your credit reports
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
- Make a plan to get out of debt
- Build an emergency fund
- Invest the rest in a 401(k), an IRA, or both
Recommended personal finance books
The books we point clients to most, grouped by where you are.
The Simple Path to Wealth
Debt, retirement accounts and a simple investing approach anyone can follow.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
The difference between working for money and having your money work for you.
The Psychology of Money
Why money decisions happen at the dinner table, not in a spreadsheet.
The Millionaire Next Door
The everyday habits of people who quietly build wealth.
The Wealth Ladder
For anyone working more and spending less but still stuck: a new way to think about each stage of wealth.
The E-Myth Revisited
Why most small businesses stall, and how to build one that runs on systems instead of on you.
Profit First
Take profit first and run the business on what remains.
Traction
A simple operating system for setting goals, tracking your numbers and keeping a team accountable.
The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down
The financing methods professional investors use.
Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat
The BRRRR strategy, step by step.
The Book on Rental Property Investing
Finding and running rental properties that cash flow.
As an Amazon Associate, PFL earns from qualifying purchases. It doesn't change what we recommend.
Read the blog
Plain-English articles by Zach Herbert-Burns on budgeting, investing basics, and buying your first home. The blog lives at personal-finance-library.com.
- Renting vs. Buying: Making Smart Choices in Today's Market Real estate
- The Bank of Mom & Dad: Teaching Kids About Money Early Financial basics
- So… What's the Deal with the Stock Market Anyway? Financial basics
- What's a Brokerage Account? Investing basics
- College Fund Accounts 101 Family
- First-Time Homebuyer's Series Home buying
Want a plan built around your numbers?
Start with a free 30-minute consultation.
Book a free consultation