Dear Ms Wise, my wife and I have $25,000 remaining on our mortgage and are on track to pay it off pretty easily this year. I’m ready to pop the champagne, but my wife thinks we should keep the mortgage open so that we can draw on it as a line of credit. What’s best?

The wisdom: Keeping your mortgage open to use as a line of credit can offer valuable financial flexibility because you will be able to borrow at lower interest rates than a personal loan or credit card, says Theo Chambers, the chief executive of Shore Financial in Sydney.