[Updated in August 2019 to reflect changes in the new tax law. 90% of taxpayers take the standard deduction now.] Reader Dan left this comment on my post about paying a 30-year loan on a 15-year ...
I Paid Off My Mortgage But My Housing Cost Didn’t Go Down
December 2017. Congress passed a new tax law. The expanded standard deduction meant I wouldn't get any tax benefit from carrying the mortgage starting in 2018. I decided to pay off my mortgage in ...
Extra Mortgage Payment: Do Dates Matter?
Regular mortgage payments are set up such that you pay the same amount each month but the breakdown between principal and interest changes every month. You first pay the interest calculated from the ...
Prepaying Mortgage Does Not Make You Invest More In Real Estate
I shared in my weekly email update this article by Jonathan Clements: Best Investment 2018. It's about prepaying your mortgage. I said paying off my mortgage would also be my focus this year. Besides ...
Savings Rate and Mortgage Loan Payments
Saving money from what we make is arguably the most reliable way to build wealth. Your savings form the base. Any investment gains are built on top of those savings. If you don't have a base, you ...
Where To Get The Best Rate On A Home Equity Loan
A friend asked me where he can get the best rate on a home equity loan. I assume he knew the difference between a Home Equity Line Of Credit (HELOC) and a home equity loan and he already decided he ...