If 2025 felt like a dress rehearsal, 2026 is your headline act, and your money habits deserve a VIP seat. After chatting to Nicolette Mashile last year about her latest book, Quiet Moves, Loud Returns, Fedgroup’s Paul Counihan (Managing Director: Wealth and Investments) and Nomzamo Manqele (Investment Specialist) rounded up their top book picks to help you kick off your year with sharper financial habits. Call it your no-fluff, practical reading list for a smarter money year.

A quick recap

Mashile’s book is refreshingly South African - finally, advice that doesn’t assume you’re living in a Clifton beach house with limitless savings and designer problems. She shares real lessons from her wins and her wonderfully relatable missteps. Her approach tackles what most of us juggle daily: debt, budgeting and the slow, steady climb toward building wealth. But let’s look at our experts’ suggested reads for 2026.

Nomzamo’s top picks:

1. The Psychology of Money - Morgan Housel
   A global favourite because it reveals the uncomfortable truth: behaviour outranks brilliance. Think long-term, save consistently, and stop comparing yourself to everyone else’s Instagram highlight reel. It’s the mindset every money decision needs.

2. The Art of Spending Money - Morgan Housel
   Housel’s sequel  takes on our most sensitive topic: our spending habits. The big takeaway? Spend with intention, only on things that genuinely improve your life. It’s the antidote to lifestyle creep, and your future self will thank you.

3. Manage Your Money Like a F*cking Grownup - Sam Beckbessinger
   Yes, it’s the actual title! Blunt, funny, and painfully accurate. The message is clear: budget wisely, dodge debt traps, and build sustainable financial habits. Perfect if you are still figuring out the “adulting” part of personal finance.

Paul’s top picks:

1. The Book of Scams - Rodney Hobson
   A practical guide exposing classic and modern scams, from investment trickery to digital phishing. Learn how scammers think so you can spot them [Ad1] long before they spot you!

2. The Changing World Order - Ray Dalio
   Surprisingly readable despite its big-picture topic. Dalio unpacks how global powers rise and fall and what these cycles mean for today’s economy. And who wouldn’t want a glimpse into where the global economy is heading, especially during volatile market cycles?

3. The Behavior Gap - Carl Richards
   A relatable reminder that emotions, not markets, are often our biggest financial risk. Richards outlines how simple financial discipline can close the gap between what we know and what we actually do.

The golden thread? Yup, you guessed it! The magic is in the mindset and the tiny financial habits you stick to. Keep doing those small, steady things as you take on 2026, because they’ll become your loudest and proudest moments.

Happy reading!