Retirees can't accurately calculate how much money they actually need to live comfortably without mortgage payments

Homeowners approaching retirement struggle to determine their true retirement income needs because traditional calculators don't account for the major shift of having no mortgage payment. They lack clear guidance on how eliminating their largest monthly expense changes their retirement number, leading to either over-saving (missing out on enjoying retirement) or under-saving (risking financial insecurity). Existing retirement planning tools treat mortgage payoff as a minor variable rather than a fundamental restructuring of retirement finances.