The key point in the article: "For the individual, the fact that encouraging 30-year mortgages is a bad policy does not imply that getting one yourself is a bad

The key point in the article: "For the individual, the fact that encouraging 30-year mortgages is a bad policy does not imply that getting one yourself is a bad deal." The criticism is separate from the benefit to consumers. One could argue it's not a good policy to have 30 year mortgages, and it just encourages more risky behavior. I can't disagree with that. But as a consumer, it has a ton of benefits.