Speed up the mortgage payments and save, but beware of gimmicky strategies

This is basic math. The less principal you owe on a loan, the less interest you are charged as part of each regular payment. As a result, more of each payment goes to further reduce the principal balance. If your goal is to pay off your mortgage early (we are not saying it should be for everyone) you can do as we did, without having to fall for gimmicky strategies that overstate your savings or hide your cost.