Why Paying Off Your Mortgage Early Might Be a Huge Mistake episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 25, 2026 · 25 MIN

Why Paying Off Your Mortgage Early Might Be a Huge Mistake

from Just Earn It Podcast · host Matt Sapaula

In this episode, I sit down with Monty Felts, a former international project executive who managed over $40 billion in energy projects for ExxonMobil and Chevron, then walked away from a seven-figure overseas career to build a mortgage business from scratch. What followed wasn’t a smooth transition.Monty lost over $500,000, hit rock bottom, questioned everything he believed about leverage, debt, and success,  and rebuilt his life, business, marriage, and faith from the ground up.Today, in one of the toughest rate environments in decades, Monty has closed $55 million in loans, not by chasing rates, but by helping people see the consequences of financial decisions before they make them.👇 CHAPTERS & TIMESTAMPS 👇00:00 – Most people misunderstand mortgage and real estate strategy; it’s not about rates, it’s about control.03:40 – From managing $40B global energy projects to walking away from a capped career.06:30 – How football, discipline, and teamwork shaped Monty’s leadership mindset.18:20 – Why “don’t quit” is the most underrated business strategy.22:10 –  Why success is never a solo game.37:40 –  From commanding teams to being told “no” and how coaching saved everything.50:10 – Why true sales create wins for everyone, and why most people get this wrong.1:05:20 – Why “all debt is evil” is one of the most dangerous financial myths.1:21:30 –When it makes sense,  and when it absolutely doesn’t.1:47:30 – Time in the market vs. timing the market,  with real numbers.New episodes weekly — follow the Just Earn It Podcast and join the movement to break faith-based money myths and build real generational#MoneyMindset#RealEstateStrategy#FinancialFreedom#WealthBuilding#MortgageStrategy#PassiveIncome#CashFlow#Leverage#DebtStrategy#PersonalFinance#PodcastClips#LongFormPodcast#BusinessPodcast#EntrepreneurPodcast#FinancePodcast#RealConversations#DeepTalks#RealEstateInvesting#HomeOwnership#MortgageTips#RealEstateWealth#InvestSmart#PropertyInvesting#InvestorMindset🔗 Connect with Monty Felts on social links below 👇Find Monty Felts on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/monty.feltsFind Monty Felts on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@how-to-mortgageFind Monty Felts on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/HallasanLoansWould you like to "pick Matt's brain"? Set up a consultation here via the Minnect app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://app.minnect.com/expert/MattSapaula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cigarswealthandwhiskey.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Workbook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcast.7figuresquad.com/trom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Matt's Amazon #1 best-selling book:Faith-Made Millionaire -3 Pillars from the Good Book to Master Your Mindset, Morals, and Money ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/5nJI1Vn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Also grab Matt's newly released Amazon best-seller: GOTCHA: Your Money-Smart GPS Navigating the Five Pitfalls of Financial Freedom ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3bpw2Em⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Would you like to start your business alongside Matt's mentorship in the life insurance industry?  Apply here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://livingmoneysmart.com/moneygame⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meanwhile, share in his journey to gain financial control over daily money matters and live your desired lifestyle.  Find Matt Sapaula here, too:  Matt on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattsapaula/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/moneysmartguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt on X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/moneysmartguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/mattsapaula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DISCLAIMER: Matt Sapaula is not a registered investment advisor for the offering or sale of securities nor to provide investment advice. Matt only deals in securities subject to an exemption from registration and will only provide investment services to accredited investors as defined by the Illinois Securities Act of 1953.

In this episode, I sit down with Monty Felts, a former international project executive who managed over $40 billion in energy projects for ExxonMobil and Chevron, then walked away from a seven-figure overseas career to build a mortgage business from scratch. What followed wasn’t a smooth transition.Monty lost over $500,000, hit rock bottom, questioned everything he believed about leverage, debt, and success,  and rebuilt his life, business, marriage, and faith from the ground up.Today, in one of the toughest rate environments in decades, Monty has closed $55 million in loans, not by chasing rates, but by helping people see the consequences of financial decisions before they make them.👇 CHAPTERS & TIMESTAMPS 👇00:00 – Most people misunderstand mortgage and real estate strategy; it’s not about rates, it’s about control.03:40 – From managing $40B global energy projects to walking away from a capped career.06:30 – How football, discipline, and teamwork shaped Monty’s leadership mindset.18:20 – Why “don’t quit” is the most underrated business strategy.22:10 –  Why success is never a solo game.37:40 –  From commanding teams to being told “no” and how coaching saved everything.50:10 – Why true sales create wins for everyone, and why most people get this wrong.1:05:20 – Why “all debt is evil” is one of the most dangerous financial myths.1:21:30 –When it makes sense,  and when it absolutely doesn’t.1:47:30 – Time in the market vs. timing the market,  with real numbers.New episodes weekly — follow the Just Earn It Podcast and join the movement to break faith-based money myths and build real generational#MoneyMindset#RealEstateStrategy#FinancialFreedom#WealthBuilding#MortgageStrategy#PassiveIncome#CashFlow#Leverage#DebtStrategy#PersonalFinance#PodcastClips#LongFormPodcast#BusinessPodcast#EntrepreneurPodcast#FinancePodcast#RealConversations#DeepTalks#RealEstateInvesting#HomeOwnership#MortgageTips#RealEstateWealth#InvestSmart#PropertyInvesting#InvestorMindset🔗 Connect with Monty Felts on social links below 👇Find Monty Felts on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/monty.feltsFind Monty Felts on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@how-to-mortgageFind Monty Felts on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/HallasanLoansWould you like to "pick Matt's brain"? Set up a consultation here via the Minnect app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://app.minnect.com/expert/MattSapaula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cigarswealthandwhiskey.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Workbook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcast.7figuresquad.com/trom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grab Matt's Amazon #1 best-selling book:Faith-Made Millionaire -3 Pillars from the Good Book to Master Your Mindset, Morals, and Money ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/5nJI1Vn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Also grab Matt's newly released Amazon best-seller: GOTCHA: Your Money-Smart GPS Navigating the Five Pitfalls of Financial Freedom ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3bpw2Em⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Would you like to start your business alongside Matt's mentorship in the life insurance industry?  Apply here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://livingmoneysmart.com/moneygame⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meanwhile, share in his journey to gain financial control over daily money matters and live your desired lifestyle.  Find Matt Sapaula here, too:  Matt on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattsapaula/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/moneysmartguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt on X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/moneysmartguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/mattsapaula⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DISCLAIMER: Matt Sapaula is not a registered investment advisor for the offering or sale of securities nor to provide investment advice. Matt only deals in securities subject to an exemption from registration and will only provide investment services to accredited investors as defined by the Illinois Securities Act of 1953.

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Why Paying Off Your Mortgage Early Might Be a Huge Mistake

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This episode is 25 minutes long.

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This episode was published on February 25, 2026.

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In this episode, I sit down with Monty Felts, a former international project executive who managed over $40 billion in energy projects for ExxonMobil and Chevron, then walked away from a seven-figure overseas career to build a mortgage business from...

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