Good discussion, Mel. To me finance is personal. The idea is to understand the choices you are making so you can make the right choices for you. For some, it will be paying off the mortgage to save on the monthly expense (especially as you near retirement), whereas for others it will be to invest now and pay off the mortgage later. There are too many variables to ever give black and white answers. Financial education is the key as too many people are making these decisions without really understanding the consequences.