View your mortgage as part of your retirement plan [Video]

Saving enough money for retirement is top of mind for many working adults. In fact, 53% of Americans feel behind on planning for retirement, according to a 2024 CNBC survey with SurveyMonkey.

But you might be ignoring a key future asset you’re paying for in the present: your home.

“People see the money in their bank,” says Jason Stein, a certified financial planner and founder of Bluepoint Wealth Advisors. “They see the money in their brokerage account, their 401(k)s, their [individual retirement accounts]. They don’t often think about the money that is built up in their home.”

Here’s why financial experts say it might be smart to view your mortgage as part of your retirement savings, instead of an expense.

You shouldn’t necessarily think of your mortgage payments as burdensome expenses. Instead, they can be seen as healthy debt, says Winnie Sun, a CFP and co-founder of Sun Group Wealth Partners.

“There’s obviously unhealthy debt, like credit cards and things …