{
  "id": 7108254,
  "title": "My mortgage payment is eating most of my paycheck – here’s what Dave Ramsey told me to do",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/my-mortgage-payment-is-eating-most-of-my-paycheck-heres-what-dave",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-12T11:15:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Finance",
    "slug": "yahoo-finance",
    "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/mortgage-payment-eating-most-paycheck-131641120.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dave Ramsey told a caller that his monthly mortgage payment of $2,090 was consuming 50% of their household's take-home pay of $4,200. Ramsey advised the caller to sell the house immediately, stating that such a high housing cost leaves no room for savings. The caller's house is valued at a median price of $434,100, and the current average mortgage rate is 6.71%, making a new purchase potentially more expensive. If selling is not an option, Ramsey suggested raising income through a side job, negotiating a raise, or acquiring new skills. Renting out a spare room could also help reduce housing costs without moving. Calling the mortgage servicer to inquire about loan modification programs was another recommendation. Overall, Ramsey emphasized that housing costs should not exceed 25% of take-home pay, and exceeding this threshold leaves little room in the budget for daily essentials, emergency funds, or retirement savings.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}