Yup, being debt free makes retirement that much better (much less worrisome).
I advise everyone, young or old, to get out of debt. More work and saving up front but it's the definition of prudent money mgt and quite comforting.
And especially for young people, remember that Compound Interest is “The Eighth Wonder of The World”. Don’t wait until your 30s and 40s to start saving, every little bit you can save in your 20s, will make a huge difference.
I paid cash for my last home. Knowing that I would soon retire (which I’ve done).
Google tells me the average mortgage payment today is $2,883. I can’t imagine making that payment while retired.