Investing yields this much more per year than paying off debt.
Paying off debt provides a guaranteed return equal to your interest rate. If you have a mortgage at 5%, paying it off early is exactly like finding a savings account that pays 5% tax-free, guaranteed. Investing in the stock market offers higher potential returns (historically 7-10%), but it comes with risk.
One major downside to paying off your mortgage early is liquidity. Once you put extra money into your house, you cannot easily get it back without selling the home or refinancing. Money in a stock portfolio or high-yield savings account remains liquid and accessible in case of an emergency.
Mathematically, if your mortgage rate is 3% and the market returns 8%, you should always invest. However, personal finance is personal. For many people, the psychological freedom of being 100% debt-free is worth more than the mathematical arbitrage of a few percentage points.