With the DJIA hovering near 10,000 once again; solid quarterly reports from Internet advertising giant Google and PC chip maker Intel; and the government reporting surprisingly good economic data including improved industrial production and capacity utilization in September -- the economy seems be off life support and entering into a fragile recovery. Even the battered housing market feels a bit more rational: inventories are down and prices are stabilizing even in the hardest hit areas of the nation.

But despite all the Green Shoots, uncertainty remains. The recovery which is occurring on Wall Street seems to have, at least for the time being, skipped main street in the form of near double-digit unemployment.  This leaves us all looking for a greater degree of economic certainty in the days ahead.

For those with the financial means, you maybe wondering if you should be adding a bit extra to your monthly mortgage payments or even paying-off that mortgage on your waterfront condo. I'm not a financial expert and you should certainly consult your own financial advisor... but here's one school of thought that may help you decide what's right for you.