Paying off mortgage is first step toward becoming a millionaire | Dave Ramsey (2024)
Q. I bought a house about a year ago. Currently, I have $45,000 sitting in an account with a money manager. I’ve had this account for a little over three years, and the investment hasn’t grown much, if at all. Under the circ*mstances, and being single, too, would it be better to pull the money out of that investment and put it toward my mortgage?
A. I recommend putting 100% of any non-retirement savings, above your emergency fund, toward paying off your mortgage until the mortgage is paid off. I’d still tell you to pay down the house, even if you were making 20% on your money. Just make sure you’re following the Baby Steps, and you’re already putting 15% of your income into good retirement investments before attacking the house. Paying down your mortgage is not an expenditure that’s just lost money. The cash is sitting there, you’re just banking it in your home and land. And on a side note, with all the craziness in the market over the last three years, you might come to realize breaking even over that time wasn’t so bad after all.
The shortest distance between where you are and your first $1 million to $5 million in net worth is getting your house paid off. After that, load 15% to 20% of your income into a serious retirement plan. And by that, I don’t mean playing financial footsie with some little brokerage account. Investing in good, growth stock mutual funds with a proven track record of at least 10 years is a proven way to build wealth the right way.
I’m sure you can find someone on TikTok telling you to do the exact opposite of what I’m suggesting. But you won’t find that kind of advice coming from real millionaires.
Dave Ramsey is an eight-time national bestselling author, personal finance expert and host of “The Ramsey Show.” He has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “CBS This Morning,” “Today,” Fox News, CNN, Fox Business and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for the company Ramsey Solutions.
The Dave Ramsey mortgage plan encourages homeowners to aggressively pay off their mortgages early, however. One recommendation Ramsey makes is to convert your 30-year mortgage into a fixed-rate, 15-year home loan. Not only will you pay off a 15-year mortgage in half the time, but you'll also pay much less in interest.
In fact, the average millionaire pays off their house in just 10.2 years,” according to Ramsey's website. According to Ramsey Solutions, there are steps for the average homeowner to do like the millionaires–and pay off their mortgages. Consider mortgage refinancing.
You might want to pay off your mortgage early if …
You want to save on interest payments: Depending on a home loan's size, interest rate, and term, the interest can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over the long haul. Paying off your mortgage early frees up that future money for other uses.
Even after paying off your mortgage early, real estate prices could plunge, leaving you with a potential loss. “The thing is, no one can give you a guarantee on an investment,” says Bowen. “You can put your money in the stock market and lose it.
But with nearly two-thirds of retirement-age Americans having paid off their mortgages, it means that the average age they have gotten rid of that debt is likely in their early 60s. Stats from 538.com, for example, suggest the age is around 63.
Shelby Elias | “90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate.” This famous quote from Andrew Carnegie, one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs...
Ninety-three percent of millionaires said they got their wealth because they worked hard, not because they had big salaries. Only 31% averaged $100,000 a year over the course of their career, and one-third never made six figures in any single working year of their career.
40% of Americans Pay Off Their House — Are They Doing Better Financially? For most Americans, a home mortgage is the biggest financial obligation they will ever have. A traditional mortgage spans 30 years and is often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, so the interest charges can be enormous.
Divide 72 by the interest rate on the investment you're looking at. The number you get is the number of years it will take until your investment doubles itself.
Millionaires usually avoid the following:High-interest debt: Millionaires typically steer clear of high-interest consumer debt, like credit card debt, that offers no return or tax benefits. Neglect diversification: They don't put all their eggs in one basket but diversify investments to mitigate risks.
In simplest terms, take a $2,500 mortgage payment out of the picture and you've just reduced your annual expenses by $30,000. Now, factor that against the amount of money you'll need to manage retirement: between 55% to 80% of your current annual income, according to Fidelity.
If you can afford to make extra payments, overpaying your mortgage means you pay less interest in the future and pay off your mortgage sooner. This means you could save a lot of money.
Paying your mortgage off early, particularly if you're not in the last few years of your loan term, reduces the overall loan cost. This is because you'll save a significant amount on the interest that makes up part of your payment agreement.
According to Suze Orman, "One of the greatest forms of financial independence is truly owning your own home outright." Orman believes you should focus on paying off your mortgage before you retire -- even making that your No. 1 goal as long as you plan to remain in your home.
If you pay $200 extra a month towards principal, you can cut your loan term by more than 8 years and reduce the interest paid by more than $44,000. Another way to pay down your mortgage in less time is to make half-monthly payments every 2 weeks, instead of 1 full monthly payment.
Making additional principal payments will shorten the length of your mortgage term and allow you to build equity faster. Because your balance is being paid down faster, you'll have fewer total payments to make, in-turn leading to more savings.
Unfortunately, while it's better to pay a mortgage off, or down, earlier, it's also better to start saving for retirement earlier. Thanks to the joys of compound interest, a dollar you invest today has more value than a dollar you invest five or 10 years from now.
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