Smart financial move, the 15-yr mortgage

Minneapolis, MN: "I own my home free and clear!". How great would it be to say that? No payments when you retire. No payments while you are also paying for college. Putting money into your 401k vs paying it to the bank.

Look into a shorter term mortgage. This is the hottest new trend in home ownership.
Your parents probably took a 30-year fixed rate FHA mortgage, then tried to pay extra along the way to pay it off early in hopes of having no payments going into retirement.

During the period of 2001 - 2008, it was just the opposite. Many people opted for an adjustable mortgage, interest only mortgage, or even a 40-year mortgage. The reasoning was they would be flipping the house in a few short years at a great profit, so they didn't really care what the payment was.

Today, old school thinking on the fast plan of a shorter term home loan is very popular. Me me me, now now now, has been replaced with a pay it off fast mentality.

Clearly a shorter term loan saves you a lot of money in interest. On a $200,000 loan at 4.75%, the payment (just the loan) is $1043 per month. The total interest paid is a whopping $179,888. Switch that over to a 15-yr loan at 4.25%, and the payment goes up to $1504 per month, but the total interest is just $75,079. Half as much! A interest savings of $104,809

Many people claim they can't afford the 15-yr payment, but I say otherwise. The average person can usually easily absorb the slightly higher payment with a little discipline and a slight adjustment to their monthly budget.

Eliminate the second new car, go out to a nice dinner a little less often, and shutting off the cable or satellite premium service all start to add up quickly, giving you one of the best savings opportunities of your lifetime.

I also hear many people talk about the loss of the interest tax deduction. I have a challenge for you. Can you tell me exactly what your tax write off benefit was this year? Most people can't. The tax deduction is over-rated. Once you figure out how little it really adds up to in real dollars, you'll quickly see the benefit of paying your home off faster.

Stop throwing money away on a 30-yr mortgage, refinance to a 15-yr mortgage. Earn equity faster, own your home in half the time, and make one of the best financial moves of your lifetime.