Mortgage != Debt

Usually I listen to audio books while driving, but as my book was complete I instead listened to the radio while driving to the New Year's Eve party. A commercial came on that began "Start 2007 debt free!!!!", and then went on to pitch a mortgage refinancing scheme to pay off your credit card. Funny -- I always thought a mortgage was a debt. Unless they offer a special kind of mortgage that you don't have to repay.

Unfortunately too many people won't question the commercial. They'll refinance and become "debt free", and then max out their credit cards again.