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.

If You Really Want to Build Wealth, Start Saying No to These 10 Things

If You Really Want to Build Wealth, Start Saying No to These 10 Things

Personal Finance, Wealth /

Building wealth isn’t just about what you do—it’s about what you refuse to do. The wealthy understand that financial success requires deliberate rejection of the default middle-class path. While most people chase conventional wisdom, self-made millionaires actively avoid the behaviors that keep the majority trapped in economic mediocrity. 1. Say No to Lifestyle Inflation Every […]

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5 Key Lessons From Marcus Aurelius That Will Help You Understand Yourself

5 Key Lessons From Marcus Aurelius That Will Help You Understand Yourself Better

Psychology, Stoicism /

Marcus Aurelius wrote his private journals while leading the Roman Empire through wars, plagues, and political crises. Those writings, later published as Meditations, weren’t meant for public consumption. They were psychological observations he made while trying to understand his own mind under extreme pressure. What makes his insights valuable isn’t their age but their psychological

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5 Signs You Will Have A Comfortable Middle-Class Retirement

5 Signs You Will Have A Comfortable Middle-Class Retirement

Economics, Retirement /

Most middle-class workers spend decades wondering if they’re doing enough to secure a comfortable retirement. The truth is that certain behaviors and patterns reveal far more about your retirement prospects than any single number in your 401(k) balance. The five signs below aren’t about hitting arbitrary savings targets or following cookie-cutter financial advice. They’re about

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5 Practical Ways To Rewire Your Brain For Wealth (Based On Science)

5 Practical Ways To Rewire Your Brain For Wealth (Based On Science)

Psychology, Wealth /

Your brain wasn’t designed for building wealth. It evolved to keep you alive in an environment where immediate rewards meant survival and uncertainty signaled danger. This neurological wiring, which worked perfectly for avoiding predators and finding food, now works against you when trying to accumulate capital in a modern economy. The good news is that

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5 Common Middle-Class Habits That Make People Lose Respect For You

5 Common Middle-Class Habits That Make People Lose Respect For You

Personal Finance, Psychology /

Respect isn’t bought with income or inherited through social class position. It’s earned through how you carry yourself, manage your life, and respond to pressure. The uncomfortable truth is that certain middle-class behaviors subtly signal weakness, poor judgment, or a lack of self-control, causing others to withdraw their trust and respect. The following five habits

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Become Unbreakable Through Stoicism (5 Life-Changing Principles)

Become Unbreakable Through Stoicism (5 Life-Changing Principles)

Stoicism, Success /

Life throws challenges at everyone. The difference between those who break mentally or emotionally and those who become stronger isn’t luck or circumstance—it’s mindset. Stoicism, an ancient philosophy developed over 2,000 years ago, offers a practical framework for cultivating mental resilience that directly applies to modern challenges, including financial struggles, relationship issues, career setbacks, and

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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

Business, Wealth /

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

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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

Best books, Book Reviews, Books, Success /

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

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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)

Psychology, Stoicism, Success /

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

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10 Things To Avoid If You Want To Become Wealthy

10 Things To Avoid If You Want To Become Wealthy

Personal Finance, Success, Wealth /

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

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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

Psychology, Success /

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

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

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

Stoicism, Success /

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.

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

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

Personal Finance, Wealth /

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

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The Stoic Psychology of Self-Transformation

The Stoic Psychology of Self-Transformation

Psychology, Stoicism /

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

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5 Red Flags You Are No Longer In the Middle Class

5 Red Flags You Are No Longer In the Middle Class

Economics, Personal Finance /

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.

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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

Personal Finance, Wealth /

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,

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

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

Personal Finance, Wealth /

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

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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”

Psychology, Stoicism /

“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

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5 High-Income Skills Worth Learning For the Middle Class

5 High-Income Skills Worth Learning For the Middle Class

career, Job, Success /

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

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