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Paying off your mortgage early can be a wise move for building wealth and reaching financial freedom. But it’s only a good strategy for certain people.I’ve encountered the question “Should I pay off my mortgage early or invest?” many times over the years — both professionally in my time reporting on mortgages and investing and personally as a homeowner when I have extra funds.On a recent episode of her podcast “Women & Money (And Everyone Smart Enough To Listen),” best-selling author Suze Orman and her wife/co-host, KT, received a question from listener Michelle, age 36. Michelle used a VA loan to buy a home in 2020 — with a 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate of only 2.25%. She asked Orman if she should pay off her mortgage early.Michelle had been putting an extra $100 per month toward her mortgage principal but was still disheartened that it was taking so long for the balance to go down. She expressed that she was in a comfortable financial position and was considering putting $20,000 extra toward her mortgage each year.Because her rate was so low, Michelle expressed that she knew doing something else with the money might make more financial sense. She was still unsure, though.”I feel like you cannot put a price on being free from debt and owning your home outright,” Michelle wrote.After breaking down the math and various paths Michelle could take, Orman said, “I don’t think I would pay it off right here and right now. I would give myself more time, especially at this interest rate.”Suze Orman focuses on the mortgage rateWhen asking yourself whether you should pay off your mortgage early or invest, it’s crucial to think about the rate of return. The S&P 500 stock market index’s average rate of return has been roughly 10% since it began in 1957, according to Fidelity Investments. If your mortgage interest rate is significantly lower than 10%, investing in the stock market will probably earn you more money than paying off your mortgage early would save you.Orman’s listener had a much lower rate than 10%. Many people were able to lock in mortgage rates below 3% in the peak of the Covid pandemic, and the type of loan Michelle had — a VA loan — often comes with even lower rates.Related: Financial influencer warns homeowners about this mistakeIn fact, Realtor.com calculations found that as of Q3 2025, 20% of American homeowners’ mortgage rates were 3% or lower. A total of 68.6% people had mortgages with rates of 5% or lower.Based on these numbers, it would make sense for most homeowners to invest extra funds rather than use that money to pay off their mortgages early.If your rate is well over 6%, you may want to talk with your financial advisor about the best option. Aggressively paying down your home loan could end up being the better fit, or you might be able to refinance into a lower mortgage rate.Orman advises homeowner to reassess after several yearsOrman’s listener was only 36 years old. The fact that she was young affected Orman’s advice to invest rather than pay down the mortgage for two reasons.First, because Michelle was young, she might not be living in her forever home. There was plenty of time for life circumstances to change that would cause her to move, which would make it less beneficial to pay down the principal. Second, if she started investing $20,000 per year in the stock market now, her investments would have decades to grow.More on mortgages and mortgage rates:Mortgage rate surge hits homebuyers yet againHome-buying costs are 4 times what buyers expectFannie Mae predicts shifts in mortgage rates, housing marketMichelle’s remaining principal was $250,000. Orman explained that if she started paying an extra $20,000 toward the principal, she would pay off her mortgage in just eight years. But if she invested $20,000 for those eight years instead, she would earn roughly $200,000 or $250,000. So, the two options would come out even after eight years. But Orman offered a third option.”However, if you just invest $20,000 a year for the next eight years … you continue to put the $100 a month more toward your mortgage, because it’s at such a low interest rate, in eight years, you would probably only owe $180,000 on that mortgage,” Orman said.This way, the listener would pay a little extra toward her mortgage and make larger investments for eight years.The median amount of time Americans live in their houses before selling is 11 years, according to the National Association of Realtors. Michelle had already lived in her house for six years, and after eight more, Orman recommended reevaluating the situation. Would she feel like this was her forever home? If so, she might decide to start paying down her mortgage faster.Orman pointed out that Michelle could even use the earnings from her investments over the last eight years to pay off her mortgage loan.Paying down mortgage vs. investing: Decision depends on your stage in lifeOrman’s suggestion to invest rather than pay off your mortgage early applies to many Americans, but the details were tailored to Michelle’s situation. The best strategy — paying down your mortgage, investing, or splitting your funds between the two — depends on your phase in life.How old are you? You may want to focus on investing if you’re younger, as Orman suggested to Michelle, so your investments have decades to gain value. But if you’re older, have already invested a solid amount of money, and live in your forever home, then focusing on your mortgage could make more sense.How long do you plan to stay in the home? The longer you expect to live in this house, the more sense it makes to pay down your principal.What’s your mortgage interest rate? If your rate is under 6%, you’ll like earn more by investing than by paying off your home loan early. If your rate is a little higher and you aren’t sure about the math, consider talking to a financial advisor about your specific situation.Related: Redfin reveals shift in home prices, housing market

Ukraine can still offset Russia’s mass with technology. But unless it can train and sustain enough soldiers to hold the line, innovation alone will not be enough.

Justin Verlander is back pitching for the Tigers needing 34 wins to reach the coveted 300 mark. He makes his first start at Arizona Monday night.

Crude prices jumped early Monday as uncertainty over an endgame for the war increases

A weakening yen, rising bond yields, and the risk of a carry trade unwind pose a headwind to risk assets, including bitcoin.

While issuing the new threat, Trump claimed that “great progress” has been made in peace talks with Iran, despite Tehran’s dismissing his 15-point plan as “excessive.”

The Credit for Other Dependents (ODC), along with other tax write-offs, may help you reduce your taxable income as a sandwich generation caregiver. GenX and younger Boomers often face the responsibility of caring for aging parents.  In the past decade, the number of caregivers in the US jumped by 45%, according to a new report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. That means 63 million Americans care for adults or children with an illness or disability, with the average caregiver age at 51 years old. More than one-quarter (29%) of caregivers fall into the sandwich generation, caring for both children and older adults.Read:More personal finance articles at Nifty 50+The stress of caregiving has both emotional and financial ramifications with many caregivers leaving work to care for family members. But tax time may offer some relief in the form of tax credits and deductions.“Many families assume that supporting a parent with age-related needs will create a tax advantage,” said Evan H. Farr, CELA, CAP, certified elder law attorney and retirement planner at Farr Law Firm, P.C.Farr added that this is often true. Benefits may come in the form of the ODC tax credit, medical expense deductions, and reduced withholding taxes, which can help keep money in your pocket throughout the year.Understanding the ODCThe One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025 extended the $500 Credit for Other Dependents (ODC) that was first introduced in President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). It’s a fairly straightforward, $500 non-refundable credit for taxpayers who support dependents ages 17 and older. Claiming the ODC can reduce your tax liability, but it won’t increase your tax refund if you don’t owe taxes.To qualify for the ODC, your parent or other dependent:Can’t be a qualifying child of another taxpayerMust be a US citizen, national, or residentCan only file a joint return if it’s to claim a refundShould not have gross income of $5,200 or higher for the tax yearMust receive more than 50% of their total financial support from the taxpayer“Most parents are qualified relatives as defined by the Internal Revenue Code,” Farr said.What trips people up, however, is situations where siblings share the costs of caring for an aging parent. “Where siblings are sharing the cost of caring for a parent equally, there will likely be no single taxpayer meeting the ‘over 50% of total support’ requirement unless the taxpayer(s) involved complete a Multiple Support Agreement (Form 2120),” Farr said.Related: Watch for tax scams targeting Gen X and BoomersCan Adult Children Who Get Paid to Care for Aging Parents Claim the ODC?Roughly 11 million US caregivers receive some financial support for their work, according to the AARP / NAC report, often through government-funded programs. However, a small percentage of those work solely as a caregiver; others also hold another job.Receiving some pay to care for an aging parent can help reduce some of the financial strain. But it may affect your ability to claim the parent as a dependent. “Where the parent is using their own funds to compensate the caregiver, it reduces the percentage of [financial] support provided by the caregiver, potentially jeopardizing the caregiver’s ability to claim the parent as a dependent,” Farr explained.Keep in mind that the ODC phases out if your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is more than $200,000 for single filers / head of household or more than $400,000 for married filing jointly. The credit is reduced by $50 for every $1,000 in income over the threshold. Earning additional income from caregiving could reduce or eliminate the ODC for your household.Itemizing Expenses to Deduct Medical CostsEven if you don’t qualify for the ODC to shave $500 off your tax bill, you may be able to take advantage of other tax laws to reduce your taxable income, potentially even moving you to a lower marginal tax bracket which can make a big impact on your tax liability or boost your refund.“In elderly care situations, the medical expense deduction is likely to be more financially beneficial than the ODC,” Farr pointed out.Although it’s not an either/or situation, you may find you qualify to deduct medical expenses even if you can’t claim the ODC.A key difference between the dependency standards for the medical expense deduction and the ODC is that the dependency standard for the medical expense deduction is more lenient. Even if a parent’s income exceeds the ODC threshold, a taxpayer may still deduct medical expenses incurred on behalf of the parent as long as the taxpayer provides more than half of the parent’s support,” he said. Just keep in mind that you must itemize deductions to claim medical expenses on your tax return. Medical expenses plus other itemized deductions must exceed the standard deduction for this strategy to make sense.Filing as Head-of-HouseholdIn situations where a single taxpayer has no children to claim, adding their parent as a dependent on their taxes, if they qualify, allows the taxpayer to file as head-of-household. This status boosts your standard deduction to $23,625, up from $15,750 as a single filer. You can also earn more than a single filer (but less than married couples, filing jointly) before getting bumped into another tax bracket.For instance, you can earn up to $17,000 and maintain a 10% marginal tax rate. You’d have to earn more than $626,351 to fall into the highest tax bracket with a marginal rate of 37%. Filing status can make a big difference in your tax bill.Reduce Withholding to Keep Money In Your PocketFinally, claiming an aging parent as a dependent allows you to claim them on your W-4 form, which reduces the amount of taxes withheld from your paycheck. This can help with day-to-day household money management, but may not be the wisest financial move, according to Farr.“Qualification must exist for the entire tax year,” he explained. “If there are changes to income or support mid-year, the taxpayer may end up under-withholding and owing a tax balance due. When uncertainty exists, withholding conservatively is usually the better choice.”Just the First StepUsing legal tax avoidance strategies and understanding tax rules are just the first step in financial planning when you’re caring for a much older adult. It often helps to seek assistance from a tax professional and a financial planner or elder law attorney to sort it all out.“The ODC is just a portion of a broader financial planning structure,” Farr said. “As a parent becomes economically dependent, that typically creates a host of additional issues that require consideration, including long-term care planning, Medicaid strategy, asset protection and caregiver compensation structures.”Related: How Inflation Adjustments Are Changing Seniors’ Tax Bills This Year

“Let’s do the work.”That is the tagline for Caterpillar (CAT), the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturer, which has been helping companies do all kinds of work for over a century. The company, known simply as “Cat” for short, produces everything from its iconic yellow construction equipment to diesel-electric locomotives and industrial gas turbines, serving industries from construction and mining to energy and transportation.Caterpillar traces its roots to Holt Manufacturing, which developed early steam tractors in the late 19th century, and endured two world wars and sweeping industrial change to become a global powerhouse and a leader in applying artificial intelligence to industrial sectors.How was Caterpillar Inc. named?In 1905, the company was still known as Holt Manufacturing. Photographer Charles Clements remarked that inventor Benjamin Holt’s track-type tractor crawled along the field like a “monster caterpillar.” In 1909, the first tractor to bear the Caterpillar name was produced, and the name was trademarked in 1910. When Holt merged his company with another in 1925, the new entity was officially dubbed The Caterpillar Tractor Company. Today, it is known simply as Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar’s growth during the World Wars & beyondAs mentioned above, in 1925, Holt merged with C.L. Best Tractor Co. to form Caterpillar Tractor Co., and the company’s shares were listed on the Pacific Stock Exchange.On Dec. 2, 1929, as the country was still reeling from the October market crash, Caterpillar was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  More Dow company histories:History of Chevron: Company timeline & factsHistory of Coca-Cola: Timeline, facts & milestonesHistory of Nike: Company timeline and factsHistory of Apple: Company timeline and factsLouis Neumiller, named by Harvard Business School as one of the great business leaders of the 20th Century, led Caterpillar during World War II, overseeing the mass-production of 50,000 bulldozers and tractors. Caterpillar’s equipment was used extensively by Allied construction battalions worldwide, cementing the brand’s reputation for reliability. After the war, Neumiller guided the company through a massive global expansion. By 1955, its equipment was in use on every continent, including in major projects such as the Andes highway in Venezuela and Antarctica’s Operation Deep Freeze, a U.S. mission supporting the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic program. Two fatalities occurred during the latter operation, both involving workers driving caterpillars that fell into cracks or crevasses in the notoriously dangerous Antarctic ice. When was Caterpillar added to the Dow? Caterpillar was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average on May 6, 1991, replacing truck maker Navistar and underscoring the vital role of heavy machinery in the U.S. economy.What is Caterpillar doing now? Today, Caterpillar employs roughly 118,000 people worldwide and operates largely on a business-to-business model, serving customers across construction, energy, transportation, and government sectors“Our centennial year marked a significant milestone, and we achieved full-year sales and revenues of $67.6 billion, the highest in Caterpillar’s history,” CEO Joe Creed told analysts during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Jan. 29.“In a dynamic environment with net tariff headwinds of $1.7 billion, we delivered full-year adjusted operating profit margin within the target range at 17.2% and adjusted profit per share of $19.06.”Caterpillar’s future: Investing in people & AIAnd now, more than a century after its founding, Caterpillar is boldly going into the world of artificial intelligence.As data centers expand to support AI workloads, operators are increasingly turning to Caterpillar’s natural gas and diesel generators for primary and backup power, particularly as they contend with grid constraints.Creed called power and energy the company’s “largest and fastest-growing segment.”“We anticipate growth in power generation for both CAT reciprocating engines and solar turbines driven by increasing energy demand to support data center build-out related to cloud computing and generative AI,” he said.As technology reshapes heavy industry, Creed said Caterpillar is investing in another critical area: its workforce.The company has launched a five-year, $25 million initiative to prepare workers for an increasingly digital, autonomous, and AI-enabled environment.“Caterpillar pledged $25 million to ensure the future workforce has the tools they need to make advanced technology possible,” Creed said.At CONEXPO-CON/AGG—the largest construction trade show in North America—Caterpillar highlighted AI-driven capabilities, including an assistant developed with Nvidia (NVDA) to help customers operate, manage, and maintain machinery.Related: This Dow 30 dividend stock is up 100% in the past yearCaterpillar’s stock: Splits, dividends & long-term outlookCaterpillar has split its stock four times since going public and has paid a dividend every year since its founding, with quarterly payouts dating back to 1933.It is also a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, having increased its annual dividend for more than 32 consecutive years.The company has also been a top Dow performer, with its stock surging to record levels and frequently leading the index in gains. Shares have climbed 223% over the past five years as of this article’s last update.Investment firms remain broadly optimistic, pointing to a strong pipeline of large infrastructure and construction projects, as well as Caterpillar’s emerging role in powering and supporting AI-related development.Timeline of important events & milestones in Caterpillar’s 130+ year historyJan. 7, 1892: Holt Manufacturing Co. is officially incorporated.April 15, 1925: Holt merges with C.L. Best Tractor Co. to form Caterpillar Tractor Co. and pays a cash dividend annuallyDec. 15, 1926: Caterpillar conducts its first stock split.Dec. 2, 1929: Caterpillar is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.1931: Caterpillar begins painting its machines the iconic Hi-Way yellow we know today. It also begins using diesel engines instead of gasoline. 1933: Caterpillar begins paying dividends quarterly instead of annually. 1940s: The company champions a massive increase in production to support Allied efforts in World War II.1965: Caterpillar’s annual sales exceed $1 billion for the first time. May 6, 1991: Caterpillar is added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.1999: Cat completes construction of its first Russian plant near St. Petersberg. 1996: The company launches the industry’s first autonomous mining truck.Sept. 29, 1998: Cat launches the 797, the world’s largest mechanically driven mining truck.March 2008: The company introduces the D7E, featuring a diesel-electric drive that reduces fuel consumption and increases efficiency.2017: Cat moves its headquarters to Deerfield, Illinois.2022: The company relocates its global HQ once again — this time to Irving, Texas. Jan. 29, 2026: Caterpillar posts a record $67.6 billion in full-year 2025 sales and revenues.

Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” returns to the Billboard Global 200, and it reaches a new all-time peak as it reappears on the worldwide Billboard chart.

Trump said “great progress” had been made toward ending the war but warned the U.S. would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island if a deal isn’t reached shortly.