10 Secrets of the Millionaires Next Door

The invisible rich get rich through diligence, smart choices and deferred gratification. Here's how you can join the ranks of the wealthy.

illustration of woman with money
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We all know somebody like Mitch, your mass-transit-riding, brown-bagging coworker who has toiled in accounting for as long as you can remember. Did you know he owns a vacation house at the beach? Or the McGillicuddy family, who live down the street in a house just like yours. Would you believe they didn’t have to borrow a dime to send their kids to college?

Call them the invisible rich. How do they do it? Sure, money like that sometimes comes from an inheritance or another fortuitous break, but more often than not, it’s the result of diligence, smart choices and, well, deferred gratification. The tenets they follow can also put you on the path to financial prosperity and security. Discover how.

David Muhlbaum
Senior Online Editor, Kiplinger.com

In his current role as Senior Online Editor, David edits and writes a wide range of content for Kiplinger.com. With more than 20 years of experience with Kiplinger, he has worked on and written for a range of its publications, including The Kiplinger Letter and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. He is a co-host of Your Money's Worth, Kiplinger's podcast and has helped develop the Economic Forecasts feature.