By Tim Russell, CFP®, President & Wealth Manager at Life Financial Group
Originally shared on the Life in the Markets podcast — 11/17/2025

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*Note: you will get the most out of this market update by watching the video above*

Market Updates – November 17th, 2025

  • S&P −0.8%
  • Nasdaq −0.25%
  • Russell 2000 −2.2%
  • Gold up ~0.5%
  • silver +3.5%
  • oil down ~0.3%
  • Bitcoin sold off another ~10% this week
  • 10-year Treasury ~4.118%.

Updated 2026 Retirement Contribution limits

Before I dive in: the IRS released 2026 retirement limits—important for anyone trying to save while housing costs bite:

  • 401(k): $24,500 (under 50); $32,500 (50+ catch-up)
  • Traditional/Roth IRA: $7,500 (under 50); $8,600 (50+ with $1,100 catch-up)
  • SIMPLE IRA: $17,000 (under 50); $21,000 (50+)
  • HSA: $4,400 individual; $8,570 family

 

 

Why a 50-Year Mortgage Is a Terrible Deal

(Watch the video above for a more detailed breakdown)

At first glance, stretching a mortgage from 30 years to 50 years sounds like a clever way to reduce monthly payments. But that’s only the illusion of affordability.

1. Longer loans come with higher interest rates.

Lenders take on more risk the longer they give you money, and they price that risk in. Today’s rough averages:

  • 15-year: ~5.5%
  • 30-year: ~6.25%
  • 50-year: projected 7.25%+

The rate jump erases almost all the benefit of the longer term.

2. The monthly “savings” don’t actually exist.

Using a $300,000 mortgage:

  • 30-year @ 6.25%: ~$1,845/mo
  • 50-year @ 7.25%: ~$1,862/mo

In other words, the 50-year option can cost more, not less. It’s a marketing trick.

3. The total interest is financial insanity.

What you pay in interest over the life of the loan:

  • 15-year: ~$140,000
  • 30-year: ~$364,000
  • 50-year: ~$817,000

On a $300k house, a 50-year borrower ends up paying roughly $1.1 million — with $817k of that being interest alone. That’s nearly three houses’ worth of interest to own just one.

This isn’t affordability. It’s a lifetime annuity for lenders.

What Actually Needs Fixing

The 50-year mortgage tries to solve the wrong problem. America doesn’t have a financing problem—it has a supply problem. Not enough homes. Too much regulation. Slow and costly permitting. Zoning rules that prevent building. Until we build more, prices will continue climbing no matter how creative the loan terms get.

The real solutions look like this:

  • Build more homes
  • Cut regulatory barriers
  • Streamline permitting
  • Potentially allow mortgage portability, so people aren’t trapped by their low-rate loans

A 50-year mortgage does none of those things.

Bottom Line

The 50-year mortgage is a scam wrapped in a sales pitch, promising lower payments while locking borrowers into decades of extra interest. It doesn’t make homes cheaper. It makes debt last longer.

If someone pitches you a half-century mortgage, remember Proverbs:
“The borrower is slave to the lender.”

And a 50-year mortgage is a very long form of slavery.

 

 

Stay Connected

Have questions or topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode? Email us at contact@thelifegroup.org with “Life in the Markets” in the subject line.

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Disclaimer: The topics discussed here are for informational purposes only and do not constitute specific investment advice. Investing involves risks, including potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Securities and advisory services offered through Geneos Wealth Management, member FINRA/SIPC.