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.

7 Middle-Class Hobbies That Science Says Will Make You Smarter

7 Middle-Class Hobbies That Science Says Will Make You Smarter

Most people think intelligence is fixed at birth. They assume you’re either born smart or you’re not. But decades of neuroscience research prove otherwise. Your brain remains neuroplastic throughout your life, meaning it can form new connections, strengthen existing pathways, and even grow new neurons under the right conditions. The middle class has access to […]

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Do Not Be Friends With These 5 Types of People, According to Stoicism

Do Not Be Friends With These 5 Types of People, According to Stoicism

The ancient Stoics understood that the company we keep shapes who we become. Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus all emphasized the importance of choosing companions carefully, recognizing that our friends either pull us toward virtue or away from it. While Stoicism doesn’t demand isolation, it does encourage selective association with those who support our growth

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10 Things Broke People Do That The Wealthy Don’t (How To Change Your Behavior And Change Your Life)

10 Things Broke People Do That The Wealthy Don’t (How To Change Your Behavior And Change Your Life)

The difference between financial struggle and building wealth isn’t just about how much money you make. It’s about the daily decisions you make with that money. The behaviors keeping people broke are often invisible, passed down through generations, or reinforced by consumer culture. Self-made wealthy individuals operate from a fundamentally different mindset. They’ve either learned

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How To Discipline Yourself: Stop Being Soft in 2026 Using Stoicism

How To Discipline Yourself: Stop Being Soft in 2026 Using Stoicism

The ancient Stoics never sugarcoated reality. They lived through plagues, wars, and political chaos, yet they built mental frameworks that produced some of history’s most disciplined minds. Marcus Aurelius ruled Rome while fighting battles on frozen frontiers. Epictetus went from being a servant to becoming one of philosophy’s most outstanding teachers. Seneca advised emperors while

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12 Middle-Class Careers That Will Likely Disappear By 2030

12 Middle-Class Careers That Will Likely Disappear By 2030 Due To AI

The workplace transformation happening right now isn’t another typical recession cycle. Companies have discovered they can operate more efficiently with fewer people, and artificial intelligence is accelerating this shift faster than most workers realize. While some careers will shrink, certain middle-class professions face near-complete elimination within the next four years. The jobs most vulnerable to

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People with a Wealth-Building Mindset Don’t Waste Time on These 10 Things, According to Psychology

People with a Wealth-Building Mindset Don’t Waste Time on These 10 Things, According to Psychology

The difference between those who build wealth and those who rarely comes down to just their income level. Psychology research reveals a more fundamental distinction: how people choose to spend their mental energy and time. Wealth-builders have learned to identify and eliminate specific energy and time drains that keep most people financially stuck or even

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10 Reasons Why the Middle Class Can’t Afford Their Old Lifestyle Anymore in 2026

10 Reasons Why the Middle Class Can’t Afford Their Old Lifestyle Anymore in 2026

The American middle class faces an unprecedented affordability crisis in 2026. What previous generations considered standard middle-class living now requires income levels that would have been considered wealthy just decades ago. From healthcare to housing, essential costs have surged far beyond wage growth, fundamentally restructuring what it means to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. This isn’t

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10 Spartan Life Lessons For Men (How To Be Mentally Strong)

10 Spartan Life Lessons For Men (How To Be Mentally Strong)

The ancient Spartans built one of history’s most formidable warrior cultures through a systematic approach to mental and physical conditioning. Their society wasn’t shaped by written doctrine or philosophy books, but through the Agoge training system, cultural enforcement, and Laconic wisdom passed down through generations. These weren’t abstract principles. Spartan lessons were drilled into boys

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Middle-Class People Who Are Deeply Unhappy in Life Often Display These 7 Behaviors (Without Realizing It)

Middle-Class People Who Are Deeply Unhappy in Life Often Display These 7 Behaviors (Without Realizing It)

There’s a quiet epidemic spreading through middle-class America that rarely makes headlines. It’s not a dramatic crisis or sudden catastrophe. It’s the slow, steady erosion of hope that settles in when you’ve done everything society told you to do, yet fulfillment remains frustratingly out of reach. Many middle-class individuals, particularly those in the lower-middle class,

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10 Genuine Signs of Stoic Intelligence You Can’t Fake

10 Genuine Signs of Stoic Intelligence You Can’t Fake

Stoic intelligence isn’t about memorizing philosophical quotes or adopting a minimalist aesthetic. It’s a collection of behavioral patterns that emerge from years of disciplined self-mastery and rational thinking. These traits develop slowly through consistent practice and can’t be manufactured overnight. The difference between someone who understands Stoicism intellectually and someone who embodies it shows up

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Dave Ramsey: 10 Things Self-Made Wealthy People Don't Waste Money On: Frugal Living 2026 (Financial Independence)

Dave Ramsey: 10 Things Self-Made Wealthy People Don’t Waste Money On: Frugal Living 2026 (Financial Independence)

Dave Ramsey has built a financial empire teaching Americans how to escape debt and build wealth through disciplined spending. His core message remains simple yet powerful: wealthy people think differently about money. They don’t waste resources on depreciating assets, status symbols, or financial traps that keep the middle class stuck in perpetual debt cycles. The

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Average Middle-Class 401(k) Balance by Age (2026 Edition): Are You Behind?

Average Middle-Class 401(k) Balance by Age (2026 Edition): Are You Behind?

In 2026, 401(k) balances are expected to rise thanks to higher IRS contribution limits and generally favorable market conditions over the past few years. The challenge with retirement benchmarks is that “average” balances can paint a misleading picture of where typical middle-class savers actually stand. When wealthy investors with million-dollar accounts are factored into the

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If Someone Uses These 10 Phrases in a Conversation, They Have a Wealth-Building Personality

If Someone Uses These 10 Phrases in a Conversation, They Have a Wealth-Building Personality

The language we use reveals our relationship with money. While most people discuss wealth through the lens of scarcity and limitation, those with a genuine wealth-building personality speak differently. They ask different questions, frame problems in unique ways, and approach opportunities with a distinct vocabulary that sets them apart. These phrases aren’t just words. They’re

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I Read 10 Stoic Books to Learn These 10 Lessons From Stoicism

I Read 10 Stoic Books to Learn These 10 Lessons From Stoicism

I spent months reading everything from Marcus Aurelius to Ryan Holiday, trying to understand why Stoicism has survived for over 2,000 years. What I discovered wasn’t abstract philosophy. It was a mental operating system for discipline, clarity, and resilience. The lessons I learned from these books changed how I think about adversity, emotion, and success.

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10 Lessons People Learn Too Late in Life to Become Wealthy

10 Lessons People Learn Too Late in Life to Become Wealthy

Most people spend decades following financial advice that keeps them comfortable but not wealthy. The middle-class playbook focuses on steady paychecks, modest savings, and delayed gratification without ever questioning whether these strategies actually build lasting wealth. The tragic reality is that many discover the fundamental rules of money only after their most powerful asset has

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5 Surprising Things Warren Buffett Never Wasted Money On — Even After He Was Rich

5 Surprising Things Warren Buffett Never Wasted Money On — Even After He Was Rich

Warren Buffett is famous for a net worth that rivals the GDP of small nations, yet his personal spending habits remain closer to those of a middle-class retiree in Omaha. He views money not as a tool for status, but as a tool for compounding. While most billionaires showcase their wealth through extravagant purchases, Buffett

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10 Things Frugal Middle-Class People Need to Quit Buying in 2026

10 Things Frugal Middle-Class People Need to Quit Buying in 2026

The middle-class value proposition has shifted dramatically in recent years. With inflation pressures, rising service costs, and an increasingly divided economy, many traditional staple items no longer deliver the return on investment they once did. True frugality today isn’t about skipping small indulgences. It’s about recognizing modern value traps that drain wealth without adding meaningful

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10 Samurai Habits That Improve Every Area of Life, According to Miyamoto Musashi

10 Samurai Habits That Improve Every Area of Life, According to Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi went undefeated in 61 duels during his lifetime, earning him the title of Japan’s greatest swordsman. But his legacy extends far beyond the battlefield. Toward the end of his life, Musashi distilled decades of experience into two seminal works: The Book of Five Rings and the Dokkodo (The Path of Aloneness). These texts

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5 Strategies Smart People Use to Multiply Their Wealth

5 Strategies Smart People Use to Multiply Their Wealth

The middle class works hard for money. The wealthy make money work hard for them. This fundamental mindset difference separates those who build substantial wealth from those who remain trapped in the cycle of trading time for dollars. The strategies that truly multiply wealth aren’t secrets hidden behind closed doors. They’re simply approaches that require

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