Pay Off the Mortgage Before Retirement?
Until recently, financial planners advocated for staving off retirement until individuals were able to pay off their mortgages. However, the tide is turning, and that same conclusion may not be the best choice for all individuals. Most experts will tell you to extinguish the mortgage before you retire, as you will be on a fixed income with reduced cash flow. The logic behind this is that you’ll need to budget harder to ensure you have cash available for essential living expenses. Additionally, you’ll likely need to pay for additional Medicare as you age. Additionally, some people fear losing their homes due to the inability to keep up with mortgage payments. This is the last thing a retired person will want to deal with.
However, times are changing, and many homeowners are carrying mortgage debt well into their 70s and 80s. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was common to pay off a mortgage in full before retirement. However, many people can’t afford to pay off the entire mortgage before they reach retirement age, often pushing retirement off in order to continue making mortgage payments.
This reality has created a trend shift. Fewer than half of all Baby Boomers are mortgage-free in retirement. A recent survey from American Financing found that 44% of 60- to 70-year-old homeowners will retire while still holding a mortgage. Additionally, with rising mortgage rates, future generations of homeowners will be facing the same problem. Increased household debt and the prevalence of low-down payment mortgages will continue to push payments well into retirement.
If you’ve reached retirement age and still have a few years left on your mortgage, you should not rush the repayment process. This could result in a lack of resources down the line, which can be dangerous in retirement. Additionally, many current homeowners have relatively low mortgage rates, meaning monthly payments may not be a huge burden in retirement. Putting money into an illiquid asset later in life may not be very strategic; if your money is tied up in a property, you may experience additional financial burden.
In the end, the decision to pay off your mortgage before retirement is entirely personal. Individuals should consider their retirement packages, savings, and monthly payments before acting.
Rachel Richardson