How to Invest an HSA: Make the Most of Your Money

Editor’s note: We recently updated the contents of this blog post to reflect more current information. This blog post was originally posted on September 27, 2017.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a great way to save money for healthcare expenses in retirement. There are three major tax savings to an HSA:

• Tax-deductible contributions
• Tax-free interest
• Tax-free distributions on qualified medical expenses

There’s one more way to grow your money — by investing your HSA. In this post we’ll dive into reasons you may want to invest and things to keep in mind when investing your HSA. As with all money matters, it’s always a good idea to consult a professional for legal and tax advice. They are the most qualified to help you with your personal situation.

Define the Goals of Your HSA

It’s important to define your goals for your HSA. This will help you figure out if investing is right for you. Remember, HSAs do have annual contribution limits, determined by the IRS. In 2021 the individual contribution limit is $3,600 and the family contribution limit is $7,200. The IRS increases contribution limits to account for inflation. Be sure to take this into account when you're thinking about future savings.

Goal: Saving for Ongoing Expenses

An important goal for many HSA users is to pay for ongoing medical expenses. These are the expenses that come up on a regular basis, like prescriptions and copays. Most of the time, these are smaller purchases that your health insurance doesn't cover. Since you need a high-deductible health plan to contribute to an HSA, it’s important to make sure you’re covered.

You should be able to estimate your typical expenses by looking at past expenses. You can estimate how much much you anticipate to spend annually based on previous years. The next step is to make sure to contribute enough to your HSA to cover those expenses. If your goal is to save for ongoing expenses, it's a good idea to keep this money in your HSA in cash. This makes it much easier for you to access it in the short term.

Goal: Saving for Planned Expenses

Another goal many people have for their HSA is to save for a large planned expense. Here are some examples:

• Orthodontia
• Elective Surgery
• Lasik Eye Surgery
• Any other qualified expense your health plan doesn't cover

Once you find out you may have a large planned expense coming up, start saving now. Make sure to plan out your HSA contributions so you will have enough funds to pay for the expense when it arises. Again, it’s a good idea to keep this money in your HSA in cash, as you know you will be spending it soon.

Goal: Saving for an Emergency

Another goal for many Americans is to save for an unexpected medical emergency. While nobody likes to think this may happen to them, it’s a good idea to be prepared. You should keep some cash in your HSA for unexpected expenses that come up.

Goal: Saving for Retirement

Another important goal for many people is to save money for retirement. The great thing about an HSA is that it has triple tax benefits. One of those ways is a good strategy to save for retirement.

Once you are over age 65 and enrolled in Medicare, you can no longer contribute to an HSA. But you can still withdraw funds tax-free for qualified medical expenses. As many people experience increasing health care costs as they age, this can end up being a helpful way to pay the bills.

Another important aging-related use of HSAs is for long term care insurance premiums. The amount you can spend on premiums depends on your age, and it increases as you get older.

There is another big benefit to using an HSA to save for retirement. Once you are over age 65 you can withdraw HSA funds for ANY expenses, not just qualified expenses, without experiencing a penalty. If you were to do this under age 65 you would have to pay taxes and penalties. If you do decide to use your HSA for non-healthcare expenses in retirement, remember that those withdrawals are subject to regular income taxes, similar to an IRA or 401k, or other retirement accounts.

Saving for retirement is a big reason that people choose to invest their HSA funds. Investing is a good way to potentially grow your money over a longer period of time. That’s why it is an appealing option for those looking to save money up for their future retirement. For those who may have ongoing expenses and wish to save for the future, a mix of cash and investments in their HSA could be the right option.

Evaluate Your Options an Invest Appropriately

Once you decide that you would like to invest your HSA, it’s a good idea to do some research. Here are a few things to consider to help you make a good decision.

Minimum Balance

Many HSA providers require minimum account balances to invest HSA funds (thought that isn’t the case here at Lively). If your HSA provider does have an account minimum, it is important to be aware of this fact and the dollar minimum.

If you are sure you will always have an account balance above the minimum, then you can proceed with investing without issues. If you currently don't have enough to meet the minimum, or you're concerned about dipping below that - find a provider with a lower investment threshold (or none at all).

Investment Accounts

Many HSAs have pre-selected mutual funds or investing limitations, so do your due diligence before you get started. At Lively, it’s simple to invest your HSA funds by leveraging industry leading investment options. Simply put, you can invest in what you want with us. If it is important to you to choose exactly what you invest in, make sure this is an option with your provider.

Investment Fees

All types of investments are typically subject to some fees, whether those are commissions, trading fees, or other varieties of fees. Before you start investing, make sure to find out what fees you will be subject to with your HSA provider. If you’d like more tailored investment advice, see if that is available from your provider and if it is subject to additional fees.

Use Your HSA to Plan for the Future

Investing provides a clear path to further leverage the power of your HSA and grow your HSA funds for years to come. Before you invest, make sure to outline your financial and healthcare goals. Then align your HSA Investment strategy with your lifestyle to achieve those goals. With the right balance of investments and cash savings you should be able to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical costs today, tax-free, and save for healthcare costs well into retirement.