In 2010, The Motley Fool wrote almost 20,800 articles to educate, amuse, and enrich investors. Read along as we count down to the most popular article of 2010, starting with No. 10:

10) Avoid These Cash Machines
Jim Royal explained why you should avoid companies that are taken public by private equity firms, as they are often plundered and weakened before going public. He gives the example of Dollar General, taken private by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 2007 -- and then taken public just two years later. During that time, KKR paid itself while adding $4.2 billion in debt to the company. Jim recommended that instead of buying Dollar General, investors take a look at Guess? (NYSE: GES), which has been consistently growing its free cash flow and traded at a reasonable valuation.

9) One Quality Stock to Sell Today
Todd Wenning decided to examine what stocks investors should consider selling roughly one year after the market bottom of March 9, 2009. He believed investors would be well served taking some profits on Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) as it had run up 150% in the previous year.

8) Buffett Is Selling
In May, April Taylor examined Warren Buffett's stock sales and purchases from the first quarter of 2010. Buffett sold 10% of his holdings of Procter & Gamble as well as 23% of his holdings in Kraft (NYSE: KFT), which had announced a deal to acquire Cadbury. He also added to his positions in Becton Dickinson, Iron Mountain, and Republic Services (NYSE: RSG), with Republic Services being the largest of Buffett's buying.

7) The Dividend Play for a Lifetime
In July, Jim Royal recommended investors take a look at McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), as its profitable business model, hidden catalysts, and undervaluation provides a win-win for investors.

6) 5 Stocks for Retirees to Get Rich
Jordan DiPietro was astounded when bond guru Bill Gross said bond returns "stand at the threshold of mediocrity." Jordan recommended investors look for companies which remain steadfast in both up and down markets, with low betas, strong dividends, and room for growth. His search lead him to such names as Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN) and Kinder Morgan Energy (NYSE: KMP), two dividend stocks which have all these qualities.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 …
You'll find the rest of the Top 10 countdown here.

Dan Dzombak, on Twitter as @DanDzombak, is the Internet & Technology editor at the Motley Fool. He does not own shares in any of the companies' mentioned.

Becton Dickinson is aMotley Fool Inside Value selection. Apple is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick. Procter & Gamble and Republic Services are Motley Fool Income Investor recommendations. The Fool owns shares of and has written covered calls on Procter & Gamble. The Fool owns shares of Apple and Guess?. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.