Posted by Mike Smith :: December 26, 2007 @ 7:24 am

For many Americans, the end of the year also means having some time off from work. Whether it’s through company paid holidays or vacation time to travel and be with family, people often have a little more downtime than usual between Christmas and New Year’s Day. In her recent article, Jennifer Openshaw offers a suggestion of how to spend some of that time: read books on personal finance.

She recommended these books in particular:

"Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich," by Robert Frank.

"All the Money in the World: How the Forbes 400 Make -- and Spend -- Their Fortunes" by Peter W. Bernstein and Annalyn Swan

"The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas Stanley and William Danko.

"The Millionaire Zone: Seven Winning Steps to a Seven Figure Fortune." By Jennifer Openshaw

I really liked the suggestion to read books on personal finance, even if the author did recommend her own book. I’m always on the lookout for new ideas and sources of personal finance information. When I chose to take decisive action on my own personal finance plan, it was through books that I did the majority of my learning. I committed to reading at least two finance or business books a month. That was a practice that I kept up for well over a year. I believe that what I learned has had a major impact on my life.

As we come to the end of another year, we’ll likely take time to reflect on our lives and make resolutions for the coming year. Those looking to improve their investment returns may want to consider P2P loan portfolios through Lending Club. Those who spent a little extra over the holidays might want to request a loan on Lending Club to consolidate their high-interest credit card debt. Whatever you decide to do, by starting a good habit during the year-end downtime, when you have the time to make it successful, you may increase your likelihood of success.