创造良好的金融未来
摆脱债务是许多人的主要目标，但精明的房主应该在做出重大财务决策前做好功课，包括偿还抵押贷款。创造一个良好的财务未来包括制定家庭预算，为退休做计划，即使退休可能还要几十年，并确保你有足够的财产损失保险或过早死亡，这可能会使你的家庭资金紧张。那些没有计划的人可能不得不在以后的生活中工作，或者在退休期间在经济上挣扎。为你的财务未来着想永远不会太早（或太迟）。
月现金流将增加
对许多房主来说，他们的按揭付款是他们每月开出的最大一张支票，因此一旦房子还清了，他们自然会有更多的钱用于其他支出。如果你手头拮据，不得不放弃购买其他必需品，如医疗保险或支付孩子的大学学费，还清抵押贷款将使你有更多的现金用于其他每月支出。
小心提前还款罚款
放贷者通过向借款人收取利息来赚钱，而有些放贷者（并非所有放贷者）不希望利息终止，因此他们在抵押贷款合同中加入了提前还款罚款。如果你的合同包含这样一个罚款，你可以期待支付一小部分（约1-2%）的剩余贷款余额给贷款人，如果你还清抵押贷款提前。提前还款罚款通常只适用于贷款的早期，如在前五年内，然后到期。检查你的合同条款，如果它包含一个提前还款罚款很快到期，考虑等到到期还清抵押贷款。
You Could Save Big on Interest
Paying off a mortgage early doesn’t mean you’ll pay less on the loan’s principal (the actual amount you borrowed to buy the house), but it does mean you won’t have to pay interest (the extra amount the lender charges you for the privilege of borrowing the money). Depending on the amount of interest you’re paying and how long you have left to pay on the loan, you could save tens of thousands of dollars if you pay off your mortgage early. Check out this按揭还款计算器看看你能省多少钱。
为退休储蓄也许更明智
While paying off your mortgage early means more monthly cash flow now, if you haven’t yet established a retirement savings, that might be a better use of your money. Again, this all depends on your current loan and interest rate, but by putting money in an individual retirement account (IRA) or 401(k), your invested money will enjoy tax-deferred growth until you draw it out upon retirement. The gains could be more than the amount you save in interest by paying off a mortgage early, especially if you’re near the end of your mortgage (within a year or two).
相关：9Reasons You Might Not Get a Mortgage
Being House-Rich but Cash-Poor
知道自己的房子完全没有抵押贷款是一件令人满意的事，但如果把全部积蓄花在提前还贷上，你就没有了应急基金，你最终可能会后悔。如果你还清了抵押贷款，后来发现自己需要资金，你可能不得不用你的房子作为抵押物，这往往比标准抵押贷款利率更高的房屋净值贷款。在还清抵押贷款之前，确保你至少有六个月的生活费，以备不时之需。
You Could Lose a Tax Deduction
Depending on how you file your income taxes, you could lose a deduction if you pay off your mortgage early. If you itemize expenses usingSchedule A, you are allowed to deduct the amount you pay in interest on your home loan. Participate in a quick interview using the IRS’交互式税务助理(ITA) to learn whether you qualify to take a mortgage interest deduction. In general, about 30 percent of taxpayers itemize deductions but for the rest of the filers, the standard deduction will amount to more than itemized deductions, so for most taxpayers, this will not apply.
Pay Higher Interest Debt First
While home loans in the 1980s and 1990s came with some steep interest rates (up to 14% at one point), most of those mortgages have been refinanced at lower, 3.25% to 5.0%, rates in the past decade, according to房地美.Before paying off your mortgage if you have a low interest rate, first pay off any outstanding revolving credit accounts, such as credit cards and store cards, which come with interest rates ranging from 11% to as high as 25%, depending on your credit score, according toWalletHub.
Investing Could Be a Better Financial Plan
If you purchased your home within the last decade—or had it refinanced—you’re likely paying a fairly low interest rate. If you use money you have saved up (or inherited) to pay off your mortgage, sure, you’ll save on interest. If, on the other hand, you invest that same amount of money in a Standard and Poor's (S&P) 500 index fund (a basket investment including the 500 largest American companies), you could potentially earn an average of 10% on your investment annually, according toForbes, which is more than you would save paying off a low-interest mortgage.
以较低利率再融资是一种选择
如果你想减少你每月的按揭付款，但你还没有准备好（或财务状况）偿还余额现在，考虑再融资，如果你购买了你的房子超过15年前，仍然有超过10年的贷款还清。因为利率下降了，你可以保持贷款的年数不变，同时每月少付几百美元。你今天符合条件的利率将取决于你的信用评分，但打电话给你的贷款人，看看你有什么选择是没有坏处的。
Paying a Bit More Monthly Will Help
You’ll reduce the amount of interest you pay on your mortgage over time—without needing to pay off the entire amount now—just by paying a little bit more toward the principal every month. There’s a trick to this, however, don’t just add a hundred dollars to your monthly payment or your lender may apply the extra to future payments and not the principal. Rather, make two separate payments, one for the regular monthly payment, and a second one that specifies it is to be applied directly to the loan’s principal.
相关：11Tips for Getting a Loan for Your Next House
如果你不确定，可以和财务顾问聊聊
为你的家庭做出好的财务决策需要很多时间，有时候最好的方法就是有一点专业的帮助。了解提前还贷是否符合你的最佳利益可能会令人困惑，从长远来看，这取决于许多因素，比如你目前为退休攒了多少钱，你的收入负债率是多少，你的短期和长期财务目标是什么，以及你是否有其他投资。咨询有执照的财务顾问可能每小时花费50到300美元，但这样做可以节省数千美元。SmartAsset的财务顾问定位器可以帮助你找到一个合格的财务顾问在您的社区。
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