Should I invest my money differently?

I bought a house about 3 years ago and I've paid 40k of the 70k loan. (even though I was unemployed for 8 of those months) I should have it paid off in 2 more years.

My interest rate is 6.5% and I'm wondering if I should be making long term investments in stocks or something and just make the minimum payments on the house?

(Granted the stock market isn't doing so well now) But maybe I'd be better off not trying to pay it off so fast and just building up a portfolio?

I have a cd with 4500 in it and a couple k in checking.

At 6.5% fixed, the best place for your money is definitely the mortgage. Think about it, while investments MIGHT earn more (long-term), you are not just paying of a loan, you are building equity, and by paying down a mortgage early you are potentially saving $1000's in interest...

Smart move!

(You might also build yourself an "emergency fund" in a cash account, though, just in case...)

My priority would be to get out of debt first. What if you become unemployed? If you have too much of an itch to buy stocks then set aside just a portion and invest it.

Payoff the mortgage. It is a sure thing. If you want you can allocate a portion of your money to start investing in the market. Build in slowly. Make the priority the mortgage.

Yes, you should invest your money differently.
There are better ways to get guaranteed high returns.
Check my profile and email me for a free advice if you really want to earn money.

I don't like stocks. I have invested in small business. Now I am earning 2% income monthly (24% annually). I'm sure I'll double my money in 3-4 years. Low risk high return.