As we welcome the new year, let’s take a look at the most popular articles that were published here on Millionaire Before 50. But more importantly, let’s highlight the lessons that we can learn from them.

Without further ado, here are the lessons that you hopefully learned from the top blog posts of 2018— the ones that garnered the most number of visits last year.

10. Plan your death, if you care about your dependents.

You may be saving and investing diligently and wisely for decades and have amassed substantial assets. But if you die without a will, your assets could fall into the wrong hands effectively turning your dependents into your ultimate victim.

Dying Without a Will Could be Your Ultimate Horror Story

9. Invest in stocks and reinvest the dividends.

Over the span of several decades, the choice to invest in stocks and reinvest your dividends and simply let your investments grow could literally mean millions in additional returns.

Calculating Warren Buffett’s Rate of Return (and what you can learn from it)

8. Say NO to car payments!

So many people think they need a new car to have something reliable, but that is simply not true. You can get a flat tire just as easily as an old car. If you’re uncomfortable buying a used car, get someone who does. Modern cars are now more reliable than ever.

Stupid money mistakes my smart neighbors make (Part II: Car Payments)

7. Losing excess weight is great for your finances.

The process of trying to lose weight and building wealth have lots of things in common. For starters, they are both math problems that can be solved by careful planning, proper execution, and the right mindset. Maintaining an ideal body weight has a lot of other benefits. Besides being healthy, losing weight can give you a fatter wallet.

How to lose weight and save a ton of money

6. Do not overpay for education.

Sending your kids to private schools per se is not dumb. Sending them when you haven’t saved for their college education is. Paying for private schools when you haven’t paid off your own student loan debt is even dumber.

Stupid money mistakes my smart neighbors make (Part I: Private Schools)

5. Choose a career that you love AND pays well.

The traditional advice that your grandma gave you: earn good grades, finish college, get a high paying job, and save for the rainy day, is still the best strategy for most people in any economy. Heeding the advice could spell the difference between earning a great income or settling for a minimum-wage.

LinkedIn to Millionairedom

4.  Seek Financial Independence, sooner if you hate your job.

Perhaps you don’t really dread going to work. You just want to pursue things that matter to you and not your boss. Many people crave the freedom of not having to answer to other people on every decision that they make,  stopping them from achieving their dreams, and robbing them of the valuable time they need to fulfill their goals. Work is better when you don’t need the money.

This sheet tells you when to get out of the shit-hole

3. Loaning to family or friends is not a good idea.

Lending to family or friends is never a good idea. The relationship almost always ends up strained, or worst, destroyed. But when the one who is asking is your beloved sister, it is easier said than done.

When the lender is a slave to the borrower

2. Financial Independence is just a means to an end.

Money doesn’t really change people. It only makes you more of what you already are. If you’re a sad person, money can only make you a rich sad person. Financial Independence should never be our end goal. Rather, you and I should find that one thing that can fulfill us.

Why would successful people commit suicide

1. Believe in the American Dream.

Finally, here’s the most popular post of 2018. It was so popular, one of the Forbes staff writers took notice and wrote a similar article without giving due credit to the source. Still, if you google “Richest Immigrants”, my post shows up way ahead of the Forbes article!

Here are America’s Richest Immigrants in 2018

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May you all have a prosperous 2019!!!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the continuous support that you’ve been giving me and this blog.

Here’s a video of my millionaire brother-in-law giving away tons of “lucky” money for the coming new year (turn on volume for full effect).