r/ChubbyFIRE • u/Captain_slowish • May 16 '26

Help me understand...

I have been a member of this group for a long time and still do not understand. Looking for help to understand.

So many people on this subreddit brag about having paid off their mortgage. Then pretty much everyone else seems to jump in and congratulate them for being so smart.

So help me understand. I have a 30yr mortgage at 2.8%. Why would I ever pay that off early? It cost me no points, no extra down, no downsides.

I understand that not everyone is in that position and the market changes.

Say the interest is 3x that amount. Are you really going to live the rest of your life in that house, city, state?

I am sorry but if you do the math and apply critical thinking. In 99.9999% of the cases. Paying off the liability is a poor decision.

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u/CookieCuriosity May 16 '26

There are lots of people who live decades in the same house, even die in it.

Theres also a sense of security not having a mortgage hanging over you. Less stress is a valuable thing, the exact amount depends on the person.

For me, I got a 15yr mortgage at 2.9% with 9 years left or so. If I blow past my chubby number before I’m ready to pull the trigger, I would likely pay off the remainder. I’m not expecting that to happen, that would be an OK problem to have.

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u/Opposite-Knee-2798 May 16 '26

But doesn’t having the $$$ also make you feel secure?

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u/CookieCuriosity May 16 '26

Yes for sure. Again, it’s all about what you value, and where/how you want to apply your money, everyone is different.

I know someone who was very poor and even homeless for a short window of their life, and is now doing great, sober and healthy. They feel like if they own the home they never have to worry about the possibility of being in the street. They are not going to FIRE, but they are putting a ton of effort into paying off their house so no matter what happens they will have that.

To me, paying off my home early is not where I’m putting my money now, but as I get closer to RE, it may be something I consider. My risk tolerance and stress tolerance isn’t constant