Summary and review ofThe Rules of Money

Reviewed by Diario de un Inversor · UpdatedJune 13, 2026

Our review

«The Rules of Money», published in 2006, assembles 107 short, direct rules by British author Richard Templar, known for his practical-behaviour series. The format — one rule per chapter, each just a few pages — makes the book inherently non-linear: readers can open it anywhere and extract immediate value. The rules range from mental attitudes toward wealth to spending habits, sensible investing, and the social dynamics of money. Templar is not an economist or professional investor, and the book makes no such claim: it is, above all, a compendium of organised common sense presented with clarity and mild wit. Critics rightly note that many rules feel self-evident, and the technical depth on investment is minimal. But that observation misses the book's point: it makes explicit what most people know implicitly and consistently fail to act on. This is a book about financial habits, not advanced investment strategy, and within that scope it delivers. The slightly ironic tone keeps it from feeling preachy, which separates it from more evangelical entries in the genre.

Key takeaways

• Wealth accumulates through repeated behaviours, not windfalls or exceptional income events.
• Spending less than you earn is the one financial rule without exceptions; everything else is strategy.
• Money in social contexts — loans between friends, status signalling, gifts — is a frequently ignored source of financial loss.
• Sensible investing means not chasing extraordinary returns or taking on risks you do not understand.

Fact

«The Rules of Money» was published in 2006 as part of Templar's «The Rules of…» series, which spans titles on work, life, management, and more.