Yes to this. People should always add up the total interest they're going to pay on a 30-year mortgage, some states require this to be prominently displayed on

Yes to this. People should always add up the total interest they're going to pay on a 30-year mortgage, some states require this to be prominently displayed on the loan. The amount is truly staggering. Given that your average money-market is barely reaching 2%, the old saw of "it's better to save and service the mortgage" is complete BS and pro-bank propaganda. Mortgages are simply another wealth-transfer to the banks, including the mortgage-interest deduction: corporate welfare pure and simple. Read Liar's Poker if you want to really understand why that boondoggle is in place. And never forget that easy mortgages, which have ludicrously enriched the banks, are the reason why real estate is so inhumanly overvalued now. The mortgage interest deduction was central to securitizing loans and we're all paying the price now.