09/03/2026
Paying off a mortgage early isn’t always the smartest move. A low‑rate mortgage around 3% is cheap debt, costing about $1,750 in monthly interest on a $700,000 balance. Compare that to a small $7,000 balance at 20–24%, which burns roughly $140 every month. Dollar‑for‑dollar, high‑interest debt is eight times more expensive, draining cash far faster than a huge low‑rate mortgage. That’s why eliminating high‑interest balances first protects your liquidity, strengthens financial flexibility, and delivers a far better return than paying off cheap mortgage debt early