Whether you’re a college student looking for resources to help you pass your finance exams or a professor seeking teaching material, a good finance textbook is an amazing tool.
With your financial goals in mind, we’re taking a look at the best finance textbooks you can use to supplement your learning.
The Best Finance Textbooks:
- Introduction to Finance: Markets, Investments, and Financial Managementby Ron Melicher and Edgar Norton - Get this textbook
- Fundamentals of Financial Management by Dr. Eugene F. Brigham - Get this textbook
- Fundamentals of Corporate Finance by Stephen A. Ross - Get this textbook
- Foundations of Finance by Arthur J. Keown, John D. Martin and J. William Petty - Get this textbook
- Personal Finance by Dr. Hughes - Get this textbook
- Real Estate Finance and Investments by William B. Brueggeman - Get this textbook
- Corporate Finance: A Focused Approach by Dr. Michael C. Ehrhardt - Get this textbook
- Essentials of Corporate Finance by Ross, Westerfield, and Jordan - Get this textbook
- Venture Capital and the Finance of Innovation by Andrew Metrick and Ayako Yasuda - Get this textbook
What You Should Look for in a Finance Textbook
Hundreds of finance textbooks are on the market, each proclaiming its own ability to help you succeed in one area or another. This is exactly why you need to know how to choose the right finance textbook for yourself.
The following section will show you the three most important factors that you should take into consideration.
A Great Author Reputation
The first and most important factor in selecting a great finance textbook is evaluating the expertise of the author. There are plenty of successful and respected writers famous for their business victories and financial knowledge. Benjamin Graham and Burton Malkiel are great examples.
Professors who teach at some of the most prestigious universities also make great authors.
Ease of Reading
If a book delivers valuable information in a convoluted way, the information is practically useless to the reader. This also happens when a reader tries to understand a book written for a more advanced audience.
The best finance textbooks explain complex terms in the simplest ways possible so that a large audience can learn from the contents of the book.
Price
The ideal finance textbook should offer good value. With that said, you need to do your research and judge if the textbook is worth that money. You can do that through the previous two factors.
Our Picks for the Best Finance Textbooks
The following is our top picks for the best finance textbooks. Taking these factors into consideration, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorites to help you find the best resource for you. These also pair well with the best finance books for a well-rounded learning experience.
1. Introduction to Finance: Markets, Investments, and Financial Management by Ron Melicher and Edgar Norton
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Authors Ron Melicher and Edgar Norton cover three major financial areas in this book: financial management, investments, and institutions and markets.
This book's structure is designed to help both teachers and students as the material is quite flexible, easy to adapt to lectures, and easy to understand.
2. Fundamentals of Financial Management by Dr. Eugene F. Brigham
- Who’s it for? Beginners
- Price: On sale
This financial textbook covers the latest trends, practices, and developments in financial management. The book presents the concepts with clarity and backed by practical applications that will help the readers understand the material better.
This updated version of the book, 14th edition, discusses hot button topics like the federal debt, European debt crisis, and much more. The author is Dr. Eugene F. Brigham who is a graduate research professor emeritus at the University of Florida.
3. Fundamentals of Corporate Finance by Stephen A. Ross
- Who’s it for? Intermediate students
- Price: On sale
The focus of the book is mainly on the following three themes: emphasis on intuition, managerial focus, and unified valuation approach.
The author Professor Stephen A. Ross of MIT Sloan is one of the most widely published authors in the field of finance.
4. Foundations of Finance by Arthur J. Keown, John D. Martin and J. William Petty
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
The book explains five principles that can be used for solving certain financial problems. This is the 9th edition and has plenty of examples of real-world companies and economic situations to those in the previous edition.
The authors are Arthur J. Keown (Department Head and R. B. Pamplin Professor of Finance at Virginia Polytechnic Institute), John D. Martin (Carr P. Collins Chair in finance at the Baylor University Hankamer School of Business), and J. William Petty (W. W. Caruth Chair of Entrepreneurship at Baylor Hankamer).
5. Personal Finance by Dr. Hughes
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Personal Finance is used at a number of community and 4-year colleges, making it a requirement for many students and teachers.
The author Dr. Hughes, Professor of Business at Dallas County Community Colleges, helps students with analyzing financial decisions, gathering financial information, and more.
6. Real Estate Finance and Investments by William B. Brueggeman
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Real Estate Finance and Investments is written for students to help them understand the risks and rewards of investing in and securing financing for real estate deals.
The book includes concepts and techniques that are used in many real-life real estate investment strategies and financing options.
7. Corporate Finance: A Focused Approach by Dr. Michael C. Ehrhardt
- Who’s it for? Advanced students
- Price: On sale
This textbook is full of examples and presentations regarding the latest developments in business finance that will help students learn quicker and easier. Also, students will be able to master the use of spreadsheets for financial reporting and analysis.
The author is Dr. Michael C. Ehrhardt, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tennessee.
8. Essentials of Corporate Finance by Ross, Westerfield, and Jordan
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
The Essentials of Corporate Finance covers the most important concepts and principles of corporate finance. It is written in an easy-to-understand tone and allows all audiences to apply what they learn, preparing them to enter a career in corporate finance.
The writers Ross, Westerfield, and Jordan believe that understanding “why” something works is more important than understanding “how” it works.
9. Venture Capital and the Finance of Innovation by Andrew Metrick and Ayako Yasuda
- Who’s it for? All levels
- Price: On sale
Students and teachers will find useful guides on financial models used in making venture capital decisions. This textbook can be used to learn about the exciting world of VC and private equity.
The book was written by Andrew Metrick, a professor of finance at the Yale School of Management and Ayako Yasuda, an assistant professor at UC Graduate School of Management.
Finding the Best Finance Textbooks for You
It isn’t always easy to learn from the lectures and books that your college professors provide you with. They may not contain all of the information that you need or do a good job of explaining the basic concepts of finance.
In that case, you can always pick a good finance textbook with the goal of passing your exams and raising your grades. Teachers can also use these textbooks for their lectures as they are mostly easy to read and full of information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best finance textbooks?
“Fundamentals of Financial Management,” “Personal Finance” and “Real Estate Finance and Investments” offer great information for people on various stages of their finance journey.
What are good finance textbooks for beginners?
“Introduction to Markets,” “Investments and Financial Management,” “Foundations of Finance,” “The Intelligent Investor” and “Essentials of Corporate Finance” all give beginners a great launch pad for learning about finance.
About Luke Jacobi
Luke Jacobi is a distinguished professional known for his role as President at Benzinga, a renowned financial media outlet. With a background in business operations and management, Luke brings valuable expertise to his position, overseeing various aspects of Benzinga’s operations. His contributions play a crucial role in the company’s success, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness across different departments. Prior to his role at Benzinga, Luke has held positions that have honed his skills in leadership and strategic decision-making. With a keen understanding of the financial industry and a commitment to driving innovation, Luke continues to make significant contributions to Benzinga’s mission of providing high-quality financial news and analysis.