Mortgage lenders across the nation are seeing a trend of people opting for 15-year refinances instead of 30-year refinances.

This is a huge reversal back to the ways of an era when we didn't want to be in debt. For too long, Americans heard the hotel ballroom pitches about using "other people's money" (OPM) as a way to get rich through leverage by borrowing, borrowing, borrowing.

Now, the pendulum has swung the other way.

15-year refis don't have the same dramatic savings they once did vs. 30-year refis. In fact, the typical monthly payment on a 15-year refi is now 50% higher than on its 30-year counterpart.

So why the sudden appeal?

Homeowners know that the equity comes from paying down debt. Of course, have a narrow focus on wiping out your mortgage if you're not maxing out your retirement accounts is not advisable either. You've got to strike a healthy balance.

No matter how you slice it, people are getting more reflective about their finances. Christa and her husband like to have what they call "money movie night" each week where they put a film on for their children and pore over their finances.