---
title: "46 Mortgage vs Super: Should You Pay Down Debt or Contribute More to Super?"
description: "In today’s episode, Naomi and Helene are discussing one of the most common questions that gets asked - especially by women in their 40s and 50s.\n\nWhen you have got to the stage in life when you have some surplus cash every month, the million dollar question is ‘What do I do with this’? Do you focus on paying down your mortgage so you can become debt free sooner, or do you contribute more to your super so it has longer to grow and support you in retirement?"
image: https://www.hermoneymatters.com.au/hubfs/2025_06_Her_Money_Matters_Podcast_Artworkaiz4d_300x300.jpg
---
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Mar 23, 2026, 12:00:00 AM
# 46 Mortgage vs Super: Should You Pay Down Debt or Contribute More to Super?
 [Naomi Holmes](https://www.hermoneymatters.com.au/blog/author/naomi-holmes)
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In today’s episode, Naomi and Helene are discussing one of the most common questions that gets asked - especially by women in their 40s and 50s.
When you have got to the stage in life when you have some surplus cash every month, the million dollar question is ‘What do I do with this’? Do you focus on paying down your mortgage so you can become debt free sooner, or do you contribute more to your super so it has longer to grow and support you in retirement?
On the surface, both options make sense, however there are many factors to consider including things such as timing, tax, risk, lifestyle, and even how you think and feel about money.
### In this episode we cover
- The key difference between paying down your mortgage (certainty) and contributing to super (growth)
- How tax, interest rates and compounding impact the outcome of each strategy
- The psychology behind the decision — security, control and how we think about risk
- A simple real-life example comparing mortgage reduction versus investing in super
- How to decide where your next dollar should go based on your stage of life and goals
This episode is inspired by Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time - because the last things we want for any of our peeps is to have retreat about making the wrong decision and wish they could turn back the clock.
If this episode has sparked questions for you and you would like to get some help, you can reach out to Naomi and Helene to organise an initial discussion:
- naomi@hermoneymatters.com.au
- helene@hermindsetmatters.com.au
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Naomi Holmes is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Alethia Partners Pty Ltd (ABN 98 676 423 117), which holds Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) No. 557729.
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