facts:
- you currently have a mortgage
- you're not swimming in money, but you're not sweating whether or not you can make the monthly payment
- you're about to come into enough money that you could theoretically pay off the mortgage in full

do you:
(a) pay off the mortgage in full, so that you have that as a safety net. You can use the money from your paycheck that was previously going towards mortgage to build savings and then invest the savings

or

(b) since the mortgage payments aren't killing you, keep making them. take the lump sum of money and invest it. Over the next 25+ years that you're paying off the mortgage, that lump sum is accruing value, and by the time you pay it off, the investment will be more valuable.

Poll result (20 votes) Pay it off - if all else fails, you'll still own your home outright (12 votes) Vote Invest it - as long as you haven't been sweating the monthly mortgage payments already, keep making them. In 30 years, the money you invest will be worth more (6 votes) Vote Other (please explain) (1 votes) Vote I'm white, they just gave me a house for free (1 votes) Vote