Is a 30-Year Mortgage Preferable to a 15-Year Mortgage?

Better financial results accrue to some borrowers when they select a 30-year mortgage coupled with a simulta-neous investment plan rather than a 15-year mortgage term and a subsequent investment plan. These results are particularly applicable in a low mortgage rate environment; however, for the vast majority of borrowers, there remains a significant probability that the 30-year mortgage is the better mortgage product even in higher mort-gage rate scenarios. Further, the financial benefit associated with a 30-year mortgage increases as the bor-rower?s marginal tax rate and risk tolerance increase.