Should Martin and his wife use TFSA money to pay down a mortgage?

Martin and his wife are sitting on TFSA savings and a mortgage, and they want to know whether cashing in the investments to clear the debt would leave them better off in retirement. It is a question that gets answered too quickly with a gut feeling, when it really calls for a side-by-side comparison. Paying down the mortgage delivers a guaranteed, risk-free return equal to the interest saved, while keeping the money invested in a TFSA preserves tax-free growth and the flexibility to recontribute later. The right call hinges on the numbers that sit underneath it: the mortgage rate, expected investment returns, and how they plan to spend in retirement. The piece encourages running the full picture, including debt, investing and spending together, rather than treating it as a simple either-or. It speaks to any couple choosing between certainty and growth.