Marketplace All-in-One Would 50-year mortgages make it easier to buy a home?
Nov 12, 2025
Carla Javier, a Marketplace reporter, dives into the controversial idea of a 50-year mortgage, analyzing its potential to lower monthly payments while revealing the hidden costs and risks it poses for borrowers. Sabri Beneshire, a Marketplace correspondent, discusses an amicus brief from 47 economists arguing that trade deficits shouldn't be seen as emergencies justifying tariffs. He explains how trade deficits can benefit the U.S. economy, countering administration claims linking them to manufacturing decline.
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Longer Loans Cut Payments But Raise Total Cost
- A 50-year mortgage lowers monthly payments but increases total interest paid dramatically.
- Sabri Beneshire and Carla Javier note a 50-year loan can cost about 86% more interest than a 30-year loan over the life of the loan.
Equity Accumulates Very Slowly
- Buyers build equity much more slowly with a 50-year mortgage, leaving them vulnerable if prices fall.
- Sabri Beneshire explains the early years of a 50-year mortgage are almost all interest, increasing the risk of being underwater.
Pay Extra When Possible To Reduce Risk
- Make extra principal payments when you can to accelerate equity and reduce interest on a long loan.
- Sabri Beneshire and Carla Javier suggest sending extra payments and pausing them when you need better cash flow.