Toxic Anger

Several years ago I bought a house. I had an option for the financing; I could take a rather high interest rate (for the time) that was fixed or I could put nothing down and pay nearly nothing for an adjustable rate mortgage. I decided not to gamble. I knew interest rates can and do rise. I opted to pay a lot more for my house and to have the security of a fixed rate loan. That decision cost me a lot of money over the past five years, but it was supposed to save me money when the tide turned.

Now, I am paying for that decision. I am paying for my neighbor’s house down the road who did not want to pay more at the time. I am paying so that my neighbor and yours, who took out a mortgage with no down payment and paid next to nothing for the past five years, can get his mortgage reduced with my money. How is that fair?

The anger is real. The bailout is for the foolish, not the sensible, consumers. Foolishness is being rewarded and prudence is being penalized. This does not bode well for the future.