| If you had enough money to pay off your | | | | Canadians, who are invariably among the |
| mortgage right now, would you?Many people | | | | wealthiest five percent of the population, |
| would. In fact the American Dream is to own a | | | | insist on carrying on a mortgage even if they |
| home - and to own it outright, with no | | | | can afford to wipe it out entirely today? |
| mortgage. Imagine owning your home without | | | | Because they are aware of the biggest untold |
| having to send a cheque to the bank every | | | | secret of homeownership: a mortgage is |
| month, the feeling one will enjoy when - | | | | primarily a loan against the borrower's |
| after thirty long years - the moment finally | | | | income, not primarily against the value of |
| comes to make one last payment so that the | | | | the house. It this was not the case, then |
| house is paid off, at last. Being so | | | | naturally anyone with a $30,000 annual income |
| fortunate must evoke a sense of security, | | | | would qualify to purchase a multi-million |
| gratification and well-being that anyone only | | | | dollar mansion.All of which, then, makes the |
| can dream of.But if in fact the American | | | | whole difference in the world when it comes |
| Dream is so wonderful, how come thousand of | | | | to a process known in Economics as the |
| financially successful people - folks who | | | | accumulation of wealth. Prosperity in any |
| have more than enough money to pay off their | | | | society and at any given time is the epitome |
| mortgages right now - refuse to do so? Why is | | | | of financial stability, reliability, and |
| it that a small group of Americans and | | | | security. |