Reflecting on my decision to pay off my mortgage vs investing I have to come clean. Paying off my mortgage early was a bad financial decision. Buying on the heels of the 2009 housing market crash, I didn’t want to accept any more risk than necessary. From the start of my mortgage in 2010, it was my mission to pay it off as quickly as I could. After basking in the glow of my achievement, I wrote about how I saved $130,000 by paying off my mortgage early. That post earned me congratulatory messages and virtual pats on the back. It also got me this comment from a VP at…

I admit I didn't completely know what I was doing when I bought my first home. I really only knew it was going to be the most expensive purchase I'd ever make. It wasn't until I saw the first monthly bill that I fully understood just how true that would turn out to be. After 9 years I saved $130,000 by paying off my mortgage early. Here I'll explain exactly how I did it so that you can also achieve financial freedom. Before getting into the details, the Mortgage Professor offers an invaluable spreadsheet for understanding mortgage loans, principal to interest ratios, interest totals, additional payments, and general what-if calculations.…