Author name: Steve Burns

After a lifelong fascination with financial markets, Steve began investing in 1993 and trading his accounts in 1995. It was love at first trade. After more than 30 successful years in the markets, Steve now dedicates his time to helping traders improve their psychology and profitability. New Trader U offers an extensive blog resource with more than 4,000 original articles, online courses, and best-selling books covering various topics.

5 Money Rules the Wealthy Don’t Want the Middle Class to Know

7 Money Rules the Wealthy Don’t Want the Middle Class to Know

The financial playbook followed by the wealthy bears little resemblance to the advice most middle-class families receive. While one group builds compounding wealth through ownership and strategic leverage, the other remains locked in cycles of earning, spending, and working harder for incremental gains. This divide isn’t accidental. The existing economic structure depends on a large […]

7 Money Rules the Wealthy Don’t Want the Middle Class to Know Read More »

5 Books That Teach Men the Life Lessons They Usually Learn Too Late

5 Books That Teach Men the Life Lessons They Usually Learn Too Late

Most men spend decades chasing the wrong things before discovering what truly matters. We pursue money without understanding wealth, chase pleasure while avoiding purpose, and build careers while neglecting to develop meaningful foundations for our lives. The hard truth is that the lessons that matter most often arrive too late—after the divorce, the burnout, or

5 Books That Teach Men the Life Lessons They Usually Learn Too Late Read More »

Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life That Still Ring True Today (Life Changing Quotes)

10 Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life That Still Ring True Today (Life Changing Quotes)

Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher who lived from 121 to 180 AD, wrote his personal reflections in Meditations, a timeless guide to living wisely in the face of life’s challenges. Nearly two millennia later, his insights on mindset, mortality, virtue, and resilience remain profoundly relevant, offering a life-changing perspective in a world

10 Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life That Still Ring True Today (Life Changing Quotes) Read More »

10 Things To Avoid If You Want To Become Wealthy

10 Things To Avoid If You Want To Become Wealthy

Wealth creation isn’t about mastering complex financial instruments or discovering secret investment strategies. It’s about consistently avoiding the behaviors that destroy capital accumulation over time. The path to financial independence is cleared not by what you do, but by what you refuse to do. The self-made wealthy don’t necessarily earn more than everyone else—they avoid

10 Things To Avoid If You Want To Become Wealthy Read More »

Break Out Of Your Middle-Class Comfort Zone: Daily Habits for a Winning Mindset

Break Out Of Your Middle-Class Comfort Zone: Daily Habits for a Winning Mindset

The comfortable middle-class life comes with an invisible trap. You earn enough to feel secure, but not enough to build lasting wealth. You follow the conventional path of steady employment, modest savings, and careful spending, yet genuine financial freedom remains frustratingly out of reach. The problem isn’t your income or your work ethic. It’s the

Break Out Of Your Middle-Class Comfort Zone: Daily Habits for a Winning Mindset Read More »

The 10 Choices That Will Change Your Life, According to Stoicism

The 10 Choices That Will Change Your Life, According to Stoicism

Stoicism isn’t a philosophy just for academics. It’s a decision-making framework built for managing chaos, uncertainty, and real-world pressure. The ancient Stoics—Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca—lived through wars, exile, and political turmoil. What they left behind wasn’t a theory. It was a manual for staying sane, practical, and grounded when everything around you is volatile.

The 10 Choices That Will Change Your Life, According to Stoicism Read More »

Wealthy People Don’t Spend Money On These 10 Money Pits

Wealthy People Don’t Spend Money On These 10 Money Pits

The difference between the wealthy and the middle class isn’t just income—it’s where money goes. Wealthy individuals avoid wasteful spending on financial sinkholes that drain resources without building value. These aren’t sacrifices but strategic choices that redirect money toward investments and purchases that genuinely enhance life or build wealth. Here are ten money pits the

Wealthy People Don’t Spend Money On These 10 Money Pits Read More »

The Stoic Psychology of Self-Transformation

The Stoic Psychology of Self-Transformation

The ancient Stoics understood something modern psychology is only now confirming: lasting personal change isn’t about positive thinking or momentary inspiration. It’s about systematically rebuilding how you interpret reality, respond to adversity, and construct your daily habits. Stoic psychology views self-transformation not as a sudden breakthrough, but as a disciplined process of internal re-engineering. The

The Stoic Psychology of Self-Transformation Read More »

5 Red Flags You Are No Longer In the Middle Class

5 Red Flags You Are No Longer In the Middle Class

The American middle class is shrinking, and many families are sliding backward without realizing it until the damage is done. The shift doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it occur with a single catastrophic event. Instead, it occurs through small erosions—a retirement contribution reduced here, a credit card balance that never quite gets paid off there.

5 Red Flags You Are No Longer In the Middle Class Read More »

10 Things You Must Sacrifice If You Want to Be Wealthy Long-Term

10 Things You Must Sacrifice If You Want to Be Wealthy Long-Term

Building lasting wealth isn’t about finding a secret investment strategy or landing the perfect job; it’s about developing a solid financial foundation. It’s about making deliberate choices that most people aren’t willing to make. The path to financial independence requires trading short-term comforts for long-term security, which means making sacrifices. While everyone dreams of wealth,

10 Things You Must Sacrifice If You Want to Be Wealthy Long-Term Read More »

10 Common Middle-Class Habits Preventing You From Saving Tons Of Money

10 Common Middle-Class Habits Preventing You From Saving Tons Of Money

The gap between the middle class and the wealthy often comes down to daily habits rather than income levels. Many high earners struggle to build wealth, while lower earners with better habits accumulate significant savings. The difference lies in behaviors that either compound wealth or quietly erode it over time. Understanding these patterns is the

10 Common Middle-Class Habits Preventing You From Saving Tons Of Money Read More »

Stoic Quote of the Day by Marcus Aurelius: “Do Not Disturb Yourself by Imagining Your Whole Life at Once” — Marcus Aurelius

Stoic Quote of the Day by Marcus Aurelius: “Do Not Disturb Yourself by Imagining Your Whole Life at Once”

“Do not disturb yourself by imagining your whole life at once” — Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, understood the overwhelming anxiety that comes from trying to process your entire life’s trajectory all at once. His meditation on focusing on the present moment rather than becoming paralyzed by imagining every future

Stoic Quote of the Day by Marcus Aurelius: “Do Not Disturb Yourself by Imagining Your Whole Life at Once” Read More »

5 High-Income Skills Worth Learning For the Middle Class

5 High-Income Skills Worth Learning For the Middle Class

The middle class faces unprecedented challenges in 2025. Traditional career paths often offer diminishing returns, while living costs continue to climb. The good news is that specific high-income skills can dramatically boost earning potential without requiring expensive four-year degrees. These skills combine accessibility with genuine market demand, offering middle-class workers practical paths to financial and

5 High-Income Skills Worth Learning For the Middle Class Read More »

5 Daily Stoic Habits that are Scientifically Proven to Make You Happy and Successful

5 Daily Stoic Habits that are Scientifically Proven to Make You Happy and Successful

In this article, ancient philosophy meets modern neuroscience in a framework that transforms how you think, make decisions, and achieve success. Stoicism has endured for 2,000 years because it works, and contemporary research continues to validate what Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca discovered through their own lived experiences. These five daily habits require no special

5 Daily Stoic Habits that are Scientifically Proven to Make You Happy and Successful Read More »

5 Signs You Will Never Become Wealthy One Day

5 Signs You Will Never Become Wealthy One Day

Most people dream about wealth but never achieve it. They work hard, earn decent incomes, and wonder why financial success stays out of reach. After studying thousands of self-made millionaires and comparing them to others, five behavioral and mindset patterns emerge that almost guarantee someone will remain broke or middle-class forever. These aren’t about intelligence

5 Signs You Will Never Become Wealthy One Day Read More »

Average Middle-Class Income By State in 2025

Average Middle-Class Income By State in 2025

The definition of middle-class income varies dramatically depending on where you live in America. According to the Pew Research Center, middle-class income ranges from two-thirds to double the median household income in your state, creating a range rather than a single number. For 2025, the national median household income is projected to be $74,225, based

Average Middle-Class Income By State in 2025 Read More »

5 Stoic Rules To Control Your Emotions For A Happier Life (Stoicism)

5 Stoic Rules To Control Your Emotions For A Happier Life (Stoicism)

Emotions can hijack your decisions, damage your relationships, and drain your mental energy. The ancient Stoics understood this problem two thousand years ago and built a practical framework for emotional control that remains as relevant today as it was in Marcus Aurelius’s Rome. These five Stoic rules offer a clear path toward emotional stability and

5 Stoic Rules To Control Your Emotions For A Happier Life (Stoicism) Read More »

I Read 100 Wealth-Building Books to Learn These 5 Lessons

I Read over 100 Wealth-Building Books to Learn These 5 Lessons

I spent the last 30 years reading through 1,500 nonfiction books. Over one hundred of these books were about wealth-building. From Napoleon Hill’s classic “Think and Grow Rich” to Morgan Housel’s modern masterpiece, “The Psychology of Money,” I consumed a wide range of materials, including financial fiction set in ancient Babylon, parables, and cutting-edge behavioral finance

I Read over 100 Wealth-Building Books to Learn These 5 Lessons Read More »

How the Middle Class Can Escape the Matrix and Get Rich

How the Middle Class Can Escape the Matrix and Get Rich

The middle class operates within an invisible system of beliefs that dictates how they earn, spend, and think about money. This “matrix” of conventional financial wisdom feels comfortable and normal, yet it systematically prevents wealth accumulation. While most people follow the prescribed path of college, corporate jobs, mortgages, and retirement accounts, they wonder why financial

How the Middle Class Can Escape the Matrix and Get Rich Read More »