It comes down to two things: the rate on your mortgage and what else that money could do. If you're carrying one of the very low fixed rates from the refinance boom, say around 3% or lower, there's little financial reason to rush the payoff, because you can usually earn more with that cash elsewhere. Our own regret from refinancing into those rates was not pulling more cash out at the time. And pay off the expensive debt first, credit cards and car loans, before you accelerate a cheap mortgage. The tax angle matters less than people assume. With a larger standard deduction and the cap on state and local tax deductions, many homeowners no longer itemize enough for mortgage interest to give them a real break. Check your own return with a tax professional rather than assuming a deduction you may not be getting. That said, this is partly a personal call, and it's yours to make. If your retirement accounts are funded, you value the peace of mind of no payment, and you don't have better uses for the cash, paying it down is perfectly reasonable. Nearing retirement, a lot of people like owning free and clear. Our own approach tends toward paying down a meaningful chunk while keeping some low-rate leverage and liquidity. If you want to weigh an early payoff against a different loan structure, that's a good use of the free Roadmap conversation.