After a 20-year career in the Army, Tom had a second career in logistics. Susan was an elementary school teacher for 30 years. They raised two kids, saved diligently in their TSP and 401(k)s, and faithfully paid the mortgage on their home—the one they planned to live in for the rest of their lives.

Retirement, they thought, was their time to relax.

But a few years in, a familiar knot of anxiety began to form. Every morning, Tom would check the market on his tablet, his mood rising and falling with the headlines. Every month, Susan would pay the bills, her eyes lingering on their single biggest expense: the $1,500 mortgage payment.

One Tuesday, after a bad market dip, Tom looked up from his screen. "We just sold our investments at a loss to make that house payment, didn't we?"

Susan looked at the checkbook. "We do it every month, Tom. What choice do we have?"

It was a feeling they both knew well—the stress of a fixed bill being paid by a very unpredictable source of money. They were trapped in a cycle that was robbing them of the peaceful retirement they had worked so hard to earn.

During a meeting with their financial advisor, they laid out their frustration. The advisor listened, then reframed the problem. "Tom, Susan," he said, "right now, your retirement portfolio is on the hook for your housing. You're forcing your investments to do a job they weren't designed for. What if we could take that risk off the table completely?"

He walked them through a safe, federally-insured strategy designed for homeowners their age, which would allow them to pay off their mortgage and eliminate that monthly payment forever. They would still own their home, but the mandatory payment would be gone.

It was a single decision, but it changed everything.

A year later, the market took another sharp downturn. But this time, Tom and Susan’s morning was different. They sat on their patio, drinking coffee, reading the headlines. Tom looked at Susan over his mug, pointed to the grim market report on his tablet, and gave a slight shrug.

Susan simply smiled back. "It's okay," she said. "We planned for this."

In that moment, the market's turmoil no longer felt like a personal attack on their security. Their home was no longer a source of stress, but a source of strength. Their retirement savings were now free to recover and grow, preserved for their most important needs down the road.

They were finally enjoying the peace of mind they had worked for their entire lives.

The content of this article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. The scenarios and figures presented are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. They are not a guarantee of future results.

As a borrower, you remain the owner of your home and are responsible for paying property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and home maintenance. The loan becomes due and payable when the last borrower or non-borrowing spouse passes away or permanently leaves the home.

Equal Housing Lender Enduro Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender. We do not engage in business practices that discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age.