Should You Make EXTRA Payments Towards Your Mortgage? Money Q&A
Jun 19, 2024
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Explore the benefits of making extra mortgage payments, prioritize experiences over material possessions, discuss retirement calculations and cash reserves, maximize Roth IRA contributions, and protect against social security scams in this episode.
30:11
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Quick takeaways
Making extra mortgage payments can save $184,000 in interest and reduce payoff time by 15 years.
Individuals should have separate Roth IRA accounts for maximum growth potential.
Deep dives
Accelerating Mortgage Payoff Through Extra Payments
Making extra payments on a mortgage can significantly reduce the payoff time. For example, with a $240,000 house and a 30-year mortgage, making an extra payment once a quarter can lead to paying off the house nearly 15 years early, saving $184,000 in interest. However, before considering this strategy, ensure you have a fully funded emergency fund, paid high-interest debts, and are on track with retirement contributions. Evaluating your financial goals and situation is crucial before deciding to pay off your mortgage faster.
Determine Your Mortgage Terms for Extra Payments
Understanding your mortgage terms is essential before making extra payments. Check if your mortgage is fixed or adjustable, know your interest rate, and watch out for prepayment penalties that may hinder paying down your mortgage faster. Use online mortgage calculators to estimate potential interest savings and focus on paying down the principal rather than interest for long-term benefits.
Importance of Separate Roth IRA Accounts for Spouses
Each individual should have their own Roth IRA account as combining accounts won't speed up growth. The IRS allows you to max out a Roth IRA per person, so joint accounts aren't permitted for this purpose. Despite having investments spread across different accounts, the growth rate remains the same regardless of account separation.
Protecting Against Social Security Scams
Scammers target individuals near Social Security age, posing as the Social Security Administration to extract personal information or payments. To safeguard against such scams, hang up if suspicious calls occur, set up online Social Security accounts for monitoring, and never panic if pressured for immediate actions. Utilize services like DeleteMe to remove personal data from the internet, practice online privacy measures, and ensure any financial decisions are made after consulting trusted sources to avoid falling victim to scams.
In this episode of the Personal Finance Podcast, we are going to do a Money Q&A about should you make extra payments towards your mortgage?
Today we are going to answer these questions:
Question 1: Should You Make EXTRA Payments Towards Your Mortgage?
Question 2: Should I count cash in the 4% rule?
Question 3: Can we combine our Roths or do we need our own account?
Question 4: How to Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams
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