More ways to shoot yourself in the foot

It's simply amazing to me how many ways there are in this country to shoot yourself in the financial foot. Every day I encounter another. Today's financial idiocy came in the form of a question from my loan officer when I inquired about how to make an additional principal payment on my mortgage.

( Musings about American mortgage lunacy behind the cut )

Other than my husband's brother, who has been attacking his mortgage like a man possessed, it seems like only Jason and I are concerned about this whole debt thing. Are we nuts?