5 tips to become mortgage free – faster

We all want to be mortgage free one day. It does not happen overnight, but you can get there much sooner.

Firstly, take stock of your current circumstances:

• Where is your career is headed, plans for the future, is a salary increase likely?
• Do you intend to spend some time travelling, or want to start a family?
• Are you looking at property or other investments in the future?

You can now begin to formulate a plan to pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible.

A plan gives you direction which gives you a goal which gives you an achievable target!!!

Put your savings to good use

An offset savings account lets you maintain your savings while whittling away your mortgage. It's tax-friendly and is established by many Lenders when setting up a new mortgage.

Make extra payments

Every additional repayment can make a big difference, no matter how small.

Schedule an annual mortgage health check

Mortgages are no longer a one-size-fits-all products – there are dozens of different loan products available these days, each with their own features, benefits and fees. Review your loan at least annually to audit the amount of interest and the fees that you’re paying, to make sure you're getting the most out of your mortgage.

Dump lump-sum payments into your loan or offset account

Paying larger amounts into your loan can shorten the life of the loan significantly, and provide a substantial saving on interest.

Make fortnightly payments

You can reduce the cost of your mortgage by making your repayments fortnightly instead of monthly. And take a giant step closer towards paying off your mortgage for good!