I don’t think I ever said it was the ‘best’ financial decision, only that it had a simple pay off of less than 10 years. If I said something else, it was unintentional.

Part of me wonders if you are confusing having a positive ROI with having the best ROI.

Ultimately I still believe it has a pretty good ROI for me. Funds came from a refinance and were a 2.5% interest rate that is deductible. If it was used in a IRA it wouldn’t technically be deductible. Again, there are a lot of factors that move it different directions. Either way, paying them ‘off’ takes less than 10 years (probably around 8 if interest is factored in) and I ‘should’ be able to use them for many years after they have generated a positive ROI. Could there have been a better ROI? Probably, but I am conservative in my investments and knowing that about me leads me to error on the lower end of the markets history.

Either way, at current prices it likely wouldn’t make sense for about anyone to do it anymore as the ROI if you are paying +$20k isn’t ever going to be there.