What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want
A life-changing path to the financial freedom we all How to Be a Rich Old Lady is filled with humor, heart, and real-world perspective.
Amanda Holden spent years working in investment management, where she saw exactly who gets access to the power, ease, and opportunity money can bring—and it wasn’t people like her friends. She also saw how the financial system is designed to feel exclusive and confusing, and how it blames individuals for economic problems they didn’t create. So, Amanda left her finance job to launch Invested Development, a financial education company where she has taught more than twenty-five thousand students how to invest with radical clarity, accessibility, and joy.
Here, all her expertise is packed into a guide that won’t feel like getting cornered by a crypto bro. Instead, it reads like a text from your smartest “Let’s figure out money, so we can stop thinking about money.” Because this practice isn’t just about planning for your wild and glorious future—it’s about the relief of knowing you’re doing everything you can right now. In these pages, you
Set up a fully automated investing strategy—so you can move on with your life Use hands-on tools and worksheets to guide you to financial independence Learn about investing in a way that is truly memorable Demystify retirement accounts and tax rules Learn who to trust in the finance world—and who to avoid Master how to research, buy, and track the right investments for you Explore what it means to live a wild, beautiful life beyond Roth IRAs
How to Be a Rich Old Lady is a step-by-step road map to financial freedom. It’s not just about numbers on a spreadsheet but building a life that feels secure enough to dream into. Maybe your Rich Old Lady is wearing belly chains at the beach, tanned and wrinkly and totally unbothered. Maybe she’s befriending the birds at her cozy forest cabin. Maybe she’s leaving $500 tips on her diner coffee. Whatever your vision, this approachable guide to investing and wealth-building will help you build a plan to greet her with confidence, security, and genuine hope for tomorrow.
Amanda Holden spent years working in investment management, where she saw exactly who gets access to the power, ease, and opportunity money can bring—and it wasn’t people like her friends. She also saw how the financial system is designed to feel exclusive and confusing, and how it blames individuals for economic problems they didn’t create. So, Amanda left her finance job to launch Invested Development, a financial education company where she has taught more than twenty-five thousand students how to invest with radical clarity, accessibility, and joy.
Here, all her expertise is packed into a guide that won’t feel like getting cornered by a crypto bro. Instead, it reads like a text from your smartest “Let’s figure out money, so we can stop thinking about money.” Because this practice isn’t just about planning for your wild and glorious future—it’s about the relief of knowing you’re doing everything you can right now. In these pages, you
Set up a fully automated investing strategy—so you can move on with your life Use hands-on tools and worksheets to guide you to financial independence Learn about investing in a way that is truly memorable Demystify retirement accounts and tax rules Learn who to trust in the finance world—and who to avoid Master how to research, buy, and track the right investments for you Explore what it means to live a wild, beautiful life beyond Roth IRAs
How to Be a Rich Old Lady is a step-by-step road map to financial freedom. It’s not just about numbers on a spreadsheet but building a life that feels secure enough to dream into. Maybe your Rich Old Lady is wearing belly chains at the beach, tanned and wrinkly and totally unbothered. Maybe she’s befriending the birds at her cozy forest cabin. Maybe she’s leaving $500 tips on her diner coffee. Whatever your vision, this approachable guide to investing and wealth-building will help you build a plan to greet her with confidence, security, and genuine hope for tomorrow.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2026
405 people are currently reading
6188 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 16, 2025
I’m obsessed with personal finance, and there’s no other book, article, podcast, or influencer who has made me feel quite so in command of my finances than Amanda. When I say, I literally would pause, contribute an extra $150 to my IRA, then start reading again…she’s already made me richer!
But truly, this book doesn’t just break down complex financial topics into tangible advice, it explains WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: why you should care despite late-stage capitalism, despite billionaires, despite the fact that it feels like the world is ending. Amanda just gets it and she wants to help you not get screwed over by a system designed to screw you over. This is a really important book. Also, great cover.
But truly, this book doesn’t just break down complex financial topics into tangible advice, it explains WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: why you should care despite late-stage capitalism, despite billionaires, despite the fact that it feels like the world is ending. Amanda just gets it and she wants to help you not get screwed over by a system designed to screw you over. This is a really important book. Also, great cover.
October 17, 2025
Gatekeeping finance bros hate to see this book coming!!!
Amanda Holden masterfully weaves humor and irreverence with a tremendous cache of knowledge and genuine heart. Her own investment in empowering her readers by demystifying the world of finance shines through, and she speaks with refreshing clarity in both her critiques of the system and her insistence that we engage.
If you weren’t particularly enthusiastic about becoming a rich old lady when you opened this book, you will be by the time you close it. More than a roadmap, this is your designated driver to the party.
Amanda Holden masterfully weaves humor and irreverence with a tremendous cache of knowledge and genuine heart. Her own investment in empowering her readers by demystifying the world of finance shines through, and she speaks with refreshing clarity in both her critiques of the system and her insistence that we engage.
If you weren’t particularly enthusiastic about becoming a rich old lady when you opened this book, you will be by the time you close it. More than a roadmap, this is your designated driver to the party.
March 12, 2026
Connect with me!
✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph ✏ TikTok
Some of the refreshing things about How to Be a Rich Old Lady by Amanda Holden is that it tackles personal finance with a sense of humor, humanity, and honesty that most investing books desperately lack. Instead of the usual intimidating jargon or lectures about sacrifice, Holden invites readers to imagine a future version of themselves, their Rich Old Lady, and then work backward to build the life that version of them deserves.
At its heart, this book is both a financial guide and a mindset shift. Holden draws from her background in investment management to explain how wealth-building actually works. She does so in a way that feels radically accessible. She breaks down retirement accounts, index funds, and tax advantages without making readers feel like they need a finance degree just to keep up. Her powerful message is that investing is not reserved for just the wealthy elite, but it’s a tool that ordinary people can learn and use.
What stood out most to me was Holden’s ability to demystify investing while also acknowledging the broader systems that make money feel confusing or exclusionary. Rather than blaming individuals for not understanding finance, she pulls back the curtain on why the financial world often feels intentionally opaque. That perspective makes the book feel empowering rather than preachy.
The audiobook experience adds an extra layer of charm. Holden narrates the book herself! Her delivery feels less like a lecture and more like sitting down with a very smart friend over brunch who is determined to spill all the tea about money. Her tone is warm, funny, and conversational. Which makes complex topics surprisingly engaging. For a subject that can easily become dry, the pacing and personality of the narration keep things lively.
This book is clearly designed for beginners, and that’s part of its strength. Readers who are already deeply immersed in investing may find the material familiar. For anyone just starting to think seriously about money, the book offers a clear roadmap. Holden walks readers through practical steps like how to begin investing, how to choose investments, and how to build an automated strategy that allows wealth to grow in the background.
How to Be a Rich Old Lady reframes financial planning as an act of self-respect. Instead of focusing on deprivation or rigid budgeting, Holden emphasizes building a future that allows for freedom, creativity, and joy. The idea that investing is simply a tool to fund the life you want makes the entire concept of money feel more human. Holden leads you down a path of investing that can mean you can look forward to beach days in belly chains, a forest cabin with birds, or activism in the streets.
I genuinely enjoyed this book and found it incredibly approachable. In fact, I loved it enough that I’m buying a copy for my daughter for her 17th birthday. This is the kind of financial education I wish more people received earlier in life. The book offers practical advice, empowering ideas, and is refreshingly free of financial gatekeeping.
✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph ✏ TikTok
Some of the refreshing things about How to Be a Rich Old Lady by Amanda Holden is that it tackles personal finance with a sense of humor, humanity, and honesty that most investing books desperately lack. Instead of the usual intimidating jargon or lectures about sacrifice, Holden invites readers to imagine a future version of themselves, their Rich Old Lady, and then work backward to build the life that version of them deserves.
At its heart, this book is both a financial guide and a mindset shift. Holden draws from her background in investment management to explain how wealth-building actually works. She does so in a way that feels radically accessible. She breaks down retirement accounts, index funds, and tax advantages without making readers feel like they need a finance degree just to keep up. Her powerful message is that investing is not reserved for just the wealthy elite, but it’s a tool that ordinary people can learn and use.
What stood out most to me was Holden’s ability to demystify investing while also acknowledging the broader systems that make money feel confusing or exclusionary. Rather than blaming individuals for not understanding finance, she pulls back the curtain on why the financial world often feels intentionally opaque. That perspective makes the book feel empowering rather than preachy.
The audiobook experience adds an extra layer of charm. Holden narrates the book herself! Her delivery feels less like a lecture and more like sitting down with a very smart friend over brunch who is determined to spill all the tea about money. Her tone is warm, funny, and conversational. Which makes complex topics surprisingly engaging. For a subject that can easily become dry, the pacing and personality of the narration keep things lively.
This book is clearly designed for beginners, and that’s part of its strength. Readers who are already deeply immersed in investing may find the material familiar. For anyone just starting to think seriously about money, the book offers a clear roadmap. Holden walks readers through practical steps like how to begin investing, how to choose investments, and how to build an automated strategy that allows wealth to grow in the background.
How to Be a Rich Old Lady reframes financial planning as an act of self-respect. Instead of focusing on deprivation or rigid budgeting, Holden emphasizes building a future that allows for freedom, creativity, and joy. The idea that investing is simply a tool to fund the life you want makes the entire concept of money feel more human. Holden leads you down a path of investing that can mean you can look forward to beach days in belly chains, a forest cabin with birds, or activism in the streets.
I genuinely enjoyed this book and found it incredibly approachable. In fact, I loved it enough that I’m buying a copy for my daughter for her 17th birthday. This is the kind of financial education I wish more people received earlier in life. The book offers practical advice, empowering ideas, and is refreshingly free of financial gatekeeping.
February 15, 2026
great on audio! really specific help that I haven't seen in other finance books (such as the actual tickers for index funds to invest in) and found this really helpful!
March 6, 2026
How to Be a Rich Old Lady is a comprehensive guide geared toward women interested in gaining financial literary and independence. It's broken down into easily digestible chapters, which involve the definition of basic financial terms, retirement accounts, investment, and various strategies. I enjoyed the author's explanations, and I thought she described the concepts well in layman's (laywoman's?) terms. Though I disagreed with some of the political determinations she made, I appreciated the author's conversational tone, and I think this book would be a useful resource for both women starting out their careers and also older women as well.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for providing this advanced copy.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for providing this advanced copy.
February 25, 2026
I’ve read a fair amount of personal finance books but this one is a favorite. Really digestible info on all things investing!! Loved the audio so much 👏🏼
February 11, 2026
“A teach a bitch to fish operation” - truly. Although centred in the American financial system, there are strong parallels to the Canadian. This should be mandatory reading for young women. Financial nihilism is not the move and white men shouldn’t be the only ones to profit from the complex manmade investing system.
January 29, 2026
YES! This is the book about investing / personal finance that I have been waiting for! Finally a book that actually taught me how to invest — from the theory to the buttons to click to the social justice implications. Everything else I’ve read or tried to read has either been too jargony and way over my head or so simplified that I learned nothing useful. This Goldilocks of Investing finally found the book that was juuuuuust right.
January 29, 2026
I laughed, I cried... it genuinely changed my life! Probably the most useful money book I've ever read and I've read a lot of them.
November 11, 2025
This book is for anyone ready to stop pretending money is too complicated. Amanda Holden tells you exactly- no, exactly - what to do to get your money sorted so you can get on with your gorgeous, creative, chaotic, life.
Her advice is seared into my brain (I'll never forget the David Lee Roth 401k thing). After taking her investing course, I saved enough money to quit my job, travel for two years, and accidentally build a new life in Spain. Coincidence? No. Amanda.
When's the last time you spit water out ya mouth laughing while reading about money?!? When's the last time you were able to spit searing facts back to your weird uncle always giving backwards, slightly misogynistic money advice at the family gathering? And most importantly, when’s the last time you actually did the thing a self-help book told you to do?
Because after this one (honestly, 30 pages in), you’ll feel like you just hit the jackpot: a hilarious, been-there-done-that money auntie who drops timeless wisdom, gives you the tools to get your finances together without spiraling, tosses you some Mardi Gras beads for reasons that feel spiritual, and sends you back out into the world calmer, richer, and a little more dangerous, in the best way.
Her advice is seared into my brain (I'll never forget the David Lee Roth 401k thing). After taking her investing course, I saved enough money to quit my job, travel for two years, and accidentally build a new life in Spain. Coincidence? No. Amanda.
When's the last time you spit water out ya mouth laughing while reading about money?!? When's the last time you were able to spit searing facts back to your weird uncle always giving backwards, slightly misogynistic money advice at the family gathering? And most importantly, when’s the last time you actually did the thing a self-help book told you to do?
Because after this one (honestly, 30 pages in), you’ll feel like you just hit the jackpot: a hilarious, been-there-done-that money auntie who drops timeless wisdom, gives you the tools to get your finances together without spiraling, tosses you some Mardi Gras beads for reasons that feel spiritual, and sends you back out into the world calmer, richer, and a little more dangerous, in the best way.
Read
December 9, 2025This is a really well structured and explained book on investing. It cuts through a lot of the noise you get when bros are writing about the topic. And honestly that’s not who I want to hear from here!
Some of the info wasn’t applicable to me because I’m not US based but I have come away knowing more about investing than I did before. And I will certainly be referring back to this book in the future
*read via Edelweiss
Some of the info wasn’t applicable to me because I’m not US based but I have come away knowing more about investing than I did before. And I will certainly be referring back to this book in the future
*read via Edelweiss
February 22, 2026
If you are a millennial and want to make sure you know finances, this book is for you. This author truly speaks my language--at the end of the day, she is so realistic and comes from a place of caring. This attitude comes through the personality of her writing, and she is all together realistic, clear, and funny about how to learn investing so that you can retire rich, or rich enough. She acknowledges that the systems we live in are messed up, and that they are controlled by rich white old men, but she offers some words of hope.
And at the end of the day, she comes back to community and that all of this saving and investing is to help you simply to live life.
I only mention millennial because her references are immediately recognizable. But as long as you understand those, you are good to go. I've never read a finance book so open and honest.
And at the end of the day, she comes back to community and that all of this saving and investing is to help you simply to live life.
I only mention millennial because her references are immediately recognizable. But as long as you understand those, you are good to go. I've never read a finance book so open and honest.
February 15, 2026
We all deserve to be that rich old lady that also participates in community and mutual aid
February 6, 2026
I've been trying to figure out investing for quite some time. In-one-ear-out-the-other is my learning curve in this case. However, Holden's presentation is engaging, funny and down to earth. I just loved listening to her. This time, a lot of the info "makes-sense" and, I hope, will stick (at least in one ear). I will definitely be investing in gifting my daughters and all the young ladies I know this book (and some old and young men)!
Read
January 25, 2026All finance books should be couched within the context of larger financial systems and how we got here. While I personally didn’t learn a lot of new information from the book, that is because I’ve previously listened to a lot of “dumpster doggy” content previously. I think Amanda is an excellent teacher and breaks down financial jargon with ease. Highly recommend this book for any of my friends that need to buff up their financial literacy.
February 18, 2026
This book is going straight into my re-read pile—investing has always felt like a foreign language, and Holden makes it feel… human. How to Be a Rich Old Lady is part practical guide, part sparkling conversation with that eccentric aunt who knows the rules and loves to break them. Emergency funds, budgets, retirement accounts—even tracking investments—it’s all broken down in a way that actually makes sense. Sprinkle in exercises you can do immediately, and suddenly financial independence feels possible, not scary.
Sure, it dips into crypto and picking stocks, which might overwhelm some beginners, but it’s framed with humor that keeps you curious instead of intimidated. I’m here hoping to become a rich old lady and build a wealth empire for my kids—so they never have to wonder how to grow money while also living fully.
Sure, it dips into crypto and picking stocks, which might overwhelm some beginners, but it’s framed with humor that keeps you curious instead of intimidated. I’m here hoping to become a rich old lady and build a wealth empire for my kids—so they never have to wonder how to grow money while also living fully.
February 27, 2026
Really solid book on investing from a feminist lens. It does cover mostly basic information but I really appreciated her presentation of the info and would have loved to read this at the beginning of my financial learning journey! Also loved the closing- such a solid way to bring it all back home to what matters.
March 5, 2026
I really enjoyed this. A lot of the novice level information felt very non-judgmental, and I still found some useful information and resources and an intermediate level. Listened on audio, found the accompanying pdf useful and really liked the additional reading list. I really liked the authors perspective on many of the topics, especially how she ended the book.
Read
March 15, 2026the tone of this was a little eye-roll-y at times but overally it did a GREAT job of explaining basic and advanced concepts and giving how to guides and worksheets to figure out how to start investing. would recommend to anyone else who has been putting off investing because they didn't know how to start or were afraid of doing it wrong!
February 17, 2026
3.5 stars. While I appreciated this book’s premise (remembering that you are investing so that you can live the rich old lady life of your dreams in retirement), I felt that it tried to cover too much in too much detail. I consider myself a personal finance nerd, and this book started off with me thinking, "I already know this" and quickly escalated to, "whoa I am out of my depth."
February 24, 2026
Having taken Amanda Holden's course, I knew this would be a 5 star read for me. Her insight, humor, ethics and advice set the bar very high. The material is so accessible and useful. I'm sure I will come back to this book multiple times.
March 6, 2026
4.5 🌟 Wasn’t expecting a book about personal finance to be so entertaining 👏
March 15, 2026
This will be a go to gift for years to come. If you’re reading this and my friend, this means you.
February 17, 2026
The title alone is enough to pique your interest, but the first few paragraphs of How To Be a Rich Old Lady by Amanda Holden will hook you in for the journey.
Read my full review here: https://booksuplift.com/how-to-be-a-r...
Read my full review here: https://booksuplift.com/how-to-be-a-r...
March 15, 2026
This book is a must-read for women! After reading Amanda's book, I feel empowered to make informed decisions about investing for my future. I look forward to being a rich old lady knowing I've set myself up for success ✨ Amanda also teaches an online course filled with the same wit and humor that is super accessible to women just starting out on their financial journey.
March 5, 2026
not me tearing up at the end lol
February 18, 2026
Great intro to personal finance and investing, I wish I would have had a book like this 20 years ago.
February 15, 2026
Will definitely be getting a physical copy of this book even though I'm already an old lady! Need to highlight, check our $$$ and see what kind of fees are associated with it.
February 16, 2026
Wonderful book. This goes above and beyond most personal finance books I’ve read (which is a lot), but is still accessible. I’ll be rereading this regularly.
February 15, 2026
Awesome! Easy to read and understand. Would have loved some Canadian related advice peppered in.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews