One of my favorite ways to save for retirement is through a Health Savings Account (HSA). Too many people overlook a health savings account as a great way to save for retirement and healthcare costs. So how do you get the most bang for your buck out of your HSA? I share some simple strategies that very few people employ in this episode.

Disclaimer: I don’t work for Fidelity and they do not compensate me for my reviews. I simply believe it’s a great option for my clients.

• [2:14] What is an HSA?
• [4:03] The tax benefits of an HSA
• [4:59] Why put money into an HSA
• [9:17] The bucket approach with HSAs
• [10:23] How to grow your HSA
• [13:48] Action steps

HSA plans are considered a triple-tax-free retirement account. When you contribute money to the plan, you get a tax deduction on the contributions (reducing your taxable income). The money in the HSA can be invested and grow tax-free. When you take the money out to use it for qualified expenses, it’s tax-free. No other retirement account gives you this benefit.

Let’s assume your HSA is offered through your employer. A good HSA is one that allows you to buy individual stocks and bonds or mutual funds at a low cost. If they don’t offer this, you may want to move to another HSA provider. Outside of employer-sponsored HSAs, my favorite provider is Fidelity.

If you’re just getting started and you’re not ready to invest the money (it’s being saved for healthcare expenses) you want to at least be earning interest. If you don’t choose the stocks, bonds, or mutual funds you want to invest in, your money is automatically swept into a money market option (with rates around 4.5%).

In 2024, a single person can contribute $4,150 to an HSA. If you’re eligible for a family HSA, your limit is $8,300. If you’re over 55, there’s a $1,000 catch-up allowance per year. I would max out your HSA every year and prioritize it beyond your 401K.

You want to let the money grow so that you’re only spending your gains in the future. That’s why you want to pay most HSA-related expenses out of pocket—not with your HSA. The biggest mistake I see is people spending through their HSA money immediately. When you do that, you won’t see tax-deferred growth. So what do you do instead?

If you can, track your expenses on a spreadsheet and keep your receipts. When I pay medical bills, it’s entered into my spreadsheet. Let’s say my family spent $15,000 on medical bills over the last six years and my HSA has $30,000 in it. If I wanted to, I could reimburse myself at any point in time for those expenses, tax-free.

Once you turn 65, you can use the money in your HSA for any expenses. It acts just like a 401K. I share my whole strategy in this episode—don’t miss it.

• Retirement Readiness Review
• Subscribe to the Retire with Ryan YouTube Channel
• Fiduciary: How to Find, Hire, and Establish an Aligned and Trusted Partnership with a Fee-Only Financial Advisor
• Qualified Medical Expenses (per the IRS)
• Fidelity HSA

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