Health Savings Account (HSA) Archives

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Health Savings Accounts: Tax Free Money for Medical Expenses

Posted on October 6, 2023October 6, 2023 by Quest Trust Company

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

With medical costs skyrocketing, many people are looking for ways to reduce the amount they have to spend across the board. One tool some investors are turning towards for their medical expenses is the Health Savings Account or HSA.

A Health Savings Account is a useful investment vehicle that can be used to save for medical expenses and reduce your taxable income. At Quest, Health Savings Accounts can be self-directed to invest in a wide variety of alternative investments that can grow the account, and then be used to take qualified distributions tax-free. However, you must meet the qualifications to open an HSA.

How Do I Qualify to Open an HSA?

In order to qualify for an HSA, you must meet all four of the following qualifications:

You are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP).
You have no other health care coverage except what is permitted under “Other Coverage” on IRS Publication 969.
You’re not enrolled in Medicare.
You’re not claimed as a dependent on anyone’s tax return.

Since these plans are re-defined each year by the IRS, the minimum annual deductible and the maximum amount of out-of-pocket medical expenses is always being re-determined. Visiting healthcare.gov can provide some of the current amounts, but it is very important to look for plans specifically listed as “HSA-compatible.” Some employers that offer high-deductible health plans also offer HSAs, but if not, opening a separate HSA account (as long as you have a qualifying plan) is always possible.

However, having a high-deductible health plan may not be a good option for some people who have significant medical expenses. Discussing your options with a tax advisor can help determine if an HSA is beneficial for your situation.

Why Would I Want a Self-Directed HSA?

The HSA is called “The Best of Both Worlds” because when you contribute to an HSA, those funds are either tax-deductible (if you opened your own account) or pre-tax through payroll deductions (if through an employer). The account grows tax free. Then, when you take a distribution for an eligible health expense, once again there are no taxes on those withdrawals.

Contributions to Health Savings Accounts do not add to your tax burden, but actually reduce your taxable income, and that is a great tax advantage! Plus, the ability to invest in alternative assets like real estate, promissory notes, and private placements is another great advantage.

Being able to take tax-free distributions for qualified health expenses is arguably the biggest reason why most people chose to open a self-directed HSA. Other reasons such as flexibility and additional tax advantages are also positive attributes to consider when thinking about a Health Savings Account.

Unlike a Flexible Spending Account, HSA unused funds roll over every year, so you never have to worry about losing your savings at the end of the year. Even if you can no longer contribute to an HSA (once you turn 65 or become enrolled in Medicare), you can always continue to use the money for out-of-pocket qualified medical expenses. However, if you use the money on non-eligible expenses, you still have to pay federal income tax on that amount and an additional 20% penalty if you were still under the age of 65. Once you turn 65, you can take a distribution for any reason without penalty.

Additional Advantages of HSAs:

HSAs can pay for qualified medical expenses from prior years, provided the HSA was established before incurring the expense.
Even if you are no longer eligible to fund the account, HSAs funds can be invested or taken out to be used for qualified medical expenses.

Growing Your Health Savings Account

Beyond investing to grow your account, you are allowed to contribute to the account each year to give it a little boost! You can decide how much you want to contribute to your Health Savings Account up to the annual contribution limit.

For 2023, the maximum contribution is $3,850 for individuals and $7,750 for families, plus an additional $1,000 “catch-up” contribution for anyone age 55 or older by the end of the tax year. Contribution limits for 2024 will be getting a substantial bump to $4,150 for individuals and $8,300 for family plans.

The good news is, contributions can come from multiple different people: you, your employer, a relative, or anyone else who wants to add to your account is able to do so as long as they are an eligible individual. (Employer contributions are not considered income.) Plus, you can do a one-time transfer from your IRA to your HSA up to the current year’s contribution limit.

It is important to stay up to date with recordkeeping. As the account holder, you need to keep receipts in order to prove that your withdrawals were used for qualified health expenses, in case you are ever audited by the IRS. But, other than the minor receipt log, taking tax free distributions are simple. For some custodians, you obtain a debit card linked to your account. For other custodians, like Quest, simply call us and the money is distributed to you for the qualifying expense without needing to submit the receipts. It’s important to note, you will need to keep some cash available in your self-directed account if you are planning on taking a distribution to cover a medical expense.

HSAs will be able to grow more quickly if the number of distributions are limited. If you personally pay for smaller health expenses, it will give your HSA more time to grow so that you can cover larger medical expenses down the road.

What IS a Qualified Medical Expense?

The term “qualified medical expense” is actually broad, and in most cases, you will find that what you need for your health is most likely considered qualified. These can include anything from deductibles, copays, prescription drugs, and a wide range of medical, dental and mental health services, plus other out-of-pocket expenses not covered by your health plan like medical supplies and over the counter medicines.

It is important to note that health insurance premiums usually cannot be paid for with HSA withdrawals. The key takeaway here is that many expenses qualify and for a complete list of eligible expenses, see IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.

HSAs are powerful accounts with tax deductible contributions and tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses. Self-directed HSAs give you the added flexibility to invest in alternative assets like real estate, helping you grow your money faster. Enjoy tax-free growth, while providing a safety net for your family in case of a medical emergency.

If you ever have any questions about the HSA, feel free to call our office at 855-FUN-IRAS and we can provide all the information you need to decide if the Health Savings Account is right for you! To learn more about how to get started investing with a self-directed IRA, schedule a 1-on-1 consultation with an IRA Specialist by clicking HERE.

How I Used my Health Savings Account to Buy an Airplane!

Posted on October 20, 2021October 22, 2021 by Quest Trust Company

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Self-Directed IRAs are often looked at as vehicles to help you save for the future, but some people have learned how to benefit from those accounts earlier than retirement age. Certain accounts have specific rules that can provide unique perks and benefits to those who know how to properly use them. The Health Savings Account is one of those special plans.

Health Savings Accounts, or “HSAs”, have unique rules that allow the account holder to take tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses. As long as you can show that the distribution is for a medical expense that occurred during the time your account was open, you could be able to pay for those medical bills completely tax-free with the money you’ve been growing in an HSA.

With a new investments strategy popping up almost daily, it’s no wonder Nathan Long, President of Quest Trust Company, was able to buy an airplane engine using his Health Savings Account. Below is Nathan’s story. This example can show you what is truly possible with the powerful HSA.

“Let’s take a minute and tell a story.

There’s me. That’s my airplane. That’s a 1952 Cessna 170 B. I bought that during a midlife crisis! At one point, this airplane needed a new engine, a continental O-300. So, I went out. I took 40 something thousand dollars out of my Health Savings Account completely tax-free, and I bought myself an airplane engine.

Now, many of you guys here probably don’t want an airplane engine. All right. In my story, take out the term “airplane engine”, and replace it with whatever toy you want! New car? Boat? Trip to Europe? You name it!

But… is an airplane engine a qualified medical expense?

Let’s look at it. This is what happened.

The story starts years before the one of the airplane engine. Years before, I’d opened a Health Savings Account. I was married to who is now my ex-wife, and we had just opened a Health Savings Account. We did have a family plan and I made a contribution of $5,650 to it. When I made that contribution, it was towards the end of the year. I was immediately able to write that off. I was also in a very high tax bracket that particular year, so I got a really nice write off – a $2,000 dollar type of write off that immediately came out of my taxes.

At the same time, my wife had to get her teeth repaired. It was very expensive. It was $35,000- $37,000. I could have just put my money into the Health Savings Account one day and removed it the very next day. Would that have been worth doing? Yes! It would have negotiated me that tax, just by putting it in and putting it out.

That’s not what I did at all. I put the money into the account. I reached around to [my] hip…broke out the Southwest credit card, picked up the miles, and bought the teeth. Does everyone follow that? And then I went on. What did I then do with the $5,000 in there? I started to invest it.

I invested by doing a term called “partnering”. I would take my $5,000 and I’d partner it with my IRA, which had a larger amount. Then, maybe I would do an equity appreciation loan or option. Over a period of years I did different investments, but I was always partnering, allowing the larger amount of money to help carry the smaller amount of money. Over a period of years, I had never made another contribution to this HSA, but I had grown that HSA to some $45,000 – $50,000.

Fast forward… seven years. Midlife crisis. Harrison Ford’s got a plane like this and I wanted to go get it! But… it needs an airplane engine, so I need an airplane engine. What happens? I go to my Health Savings Account and remove the money tax free and penalty free.

How? You can save receipts from years past, as many as you need.

When you’ve paid the taxes on the money, you can take receipts from years past to use the tax deduction in the future. Even though I didn’t have $40,000 in the account whenever the expense occurred, I could grow that $5,000 and then remove the money tax free and penalty free.”

Do we have your attention yet? This story shows how powerful it can be if you start to learn to build wealth inside of a Health Savings Account. Get the best of both worlds and ask us how you can qualify for an HSA today – 8281-492-3434.

Should You Invest Your HSA Funds?

Posted on March 2, 2020December 23, 2020 by Quest Trust Company

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Image Credit: Epic Top 10 Site

Health Savings Accounts are perceived to be among the most tax-advantaged financial instruments. HSA helps people with high-deductible medical plans and controls medical costs.

Unfortunately, most people are not aware that they can invest their HSA funds.

Like any other investment, investing in your HSA will help grow your money and boost your savings in the long run. Besides, HSAs are super-advantageous in terms of tax benefits because your money grows under tax-free conditions.

HSA investment

Investing in HSA means placing your funds in the form of bonds, stocks, mutual funds, etc. rather than letting the money sit to earn interest. These forms of investment allow for higher returns and are reliable long-term savings.

You can invest any amount you choose, though there is a minimum limit. This limit depends on the HSA provider and has to be met before investing.

Prioritizing your investment

Like every other financial adviser in the market, we would recommend paying for medical expenses from your pocket. Then, focus your HSA money as an investment. The HSA investment should be somehow similar to your IRA or 401k assets. Consider the investment to be an extension of other retirement savings you have and treat it as so.

A good strategy would be hoarding your medical receipts for when you get paid in cash. These receipts will be helpful should you need to reimburse yourself when in need of the HSA funds.

Should you invest your HSA Funds?

If you are financially stable, investing your HSA funds should be a consideration. It is an investment that works best if one doesn’t depend on the funds to cover medical costs. For instance, if you are healthy and rarely visit the doctor.

Also, it is a good option for anyone who has the available cash flow to pay any medical expenses. However, if you live paycheck to paycheck or have a terminal condition that requires frequent visits to the doctor, HSA investment might not be the best option for you.

Conclusion

Turning your HSA funds into an investment is a smart and reliable move for most people. Before investing, ensure you are in a position to cater to your medical expenses without withdrawing from your funds. Contact Quest Trust Company today to open an HSA account.

HR 1865 SECURE Act Provisions Summary

Posted on January 16, 2020July 14, 2020 by Quest Trust Company

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Title I – Expanding and Preserving Retirement Savings

Sec. 101. Unrelated small employers may now join together in defined contribution Multi-Employer Plans (MEPs), starting in 2021.

Sec. 102. Raises the cap for automatic enrollment cap in employer-sponsored plans from 10% to 15% of pay after 1^st plan year.

Sec. 104 Small business owners with up to 100 employees may receive a TAX CREDIT for starting a retirement plan, up to $5,000 ($250 per non-highly compensated employee).

Sec. 105 Plans with automatic enrollment may receive an additional tax credit of $500.

Sec. 106 Includes in the definition of “compensation” for IRA purposes certain taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments to aid the individual in the pursuit of graduate or postdoctoral study.

Sec. 107 Age limit for making IRA contributions is repealed beginning with contributions for 2020. The age limit remains for contributions for 2019, but as long as you have working income you can still contribute for 2020 and future years. The new law also allows spousal IRAs even if the spouse is older than 70 ½.

Sec. 109 Allows “lifetime income investment” annuities to be portable, so if you leave your job they may be rolled into another 401(k) or IRA.

Sec. 112 Part-time workers working at least 500 hours per year in the last three years must be allowed to set aside funds into a company 401(k), although the company does not have to match until the normal eligibility requirements are met. Previously employees working less than 1,000 hours a year could be excluded from the plan.

Sec. 113 Up to $5,000 tax and penalty free withdrawal if within a year of birth or adoption. You can repay these distributions as a rollover contributions to an eligible defined contribution plan or IRA.

Sec. 114 Increases the age by which you must begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for those who turn age 70 ½ in 2020 or later. If you turn age 70 ½ in 2019 or earlier you still must take RMDs under the old law.

Title II – Administrative Improvements

Sec. 201 Employer plans adopted by the filing due date for the year may be treated as in effect as of the close of the year.

Sec. 203 Increases transparency into retirement income with “lifetime income disclosure statements” similar to those sent by the Social Security Administration. These statements are intended to show how much money you could potentially receive if your 401(k) balance were used to purchase an annuity.

Title III – Other Benefits

Sec. 302 A 529 savings plan may now be used to pay off student debt, up to $10,000 over the student’s lifetime. A 529 plan may also be used to pay for certain apprenticeship programs.

Title IV – Revenue Provisions

Sec. 401 Beginning in 2020, upon death of the account owner, IRA must generally be distributed to non-spouse beneficiaries by the end of the tenth year following the date of death. This rule applies to 401(k)s and other employer plans as well. No particular schedule of distributions is required, as long as all of the funds are distributed by the deadline. Exceptions exist for “eligible designated beneficiaries” including 1) the spouse of the deceased account owner, 2) disabled or chronically ill persons (as defined), and 3) persons not more than ten years younger than the account owner. Minor children of the deceased account owner have an exception to the 10-year rule, but only until they reach the age of majority, after which the account must be distributed within 10 years. Once the eligible designated beneficiary dies, the account must be distributed within the 10-year period.

Contribution Limits for 2020

Traditional IRA – Up to $6,000 or $7,000 if you reach age 50 by the end of the year (same as 2019)

Roth IRA – Up to $6,000 or $7,000 if you reach age 50 by the end of the year (same as 2019)

Roth IRA Income Limits for Contributions:

If Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Widow(er)

Less than $196,000 – Up to the limit

From $196,000 but less than $206,000 – a reduced amount

From $206,000 and above – Zero

If Married Filing Separately (and you lived with your spouse at any time during year)

Less than $10,000 – a reduced amount

From $10,000 and above – Zero

If Single, Head of Household, or Married Filing Separately (and you did NOT live with your spouse during the year)

Less than $124,000 – Up to the limit

From $124,000 but less than $139,000 – a reduced amount

From $139,000 and above – Zero

Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRAs – Up to $57,000 ($56,000 in 2019)

SIMPLE IRA – Employee salary deferrals can be $13,500 ($13,000 for 2019) or $16,500 if you reach age 50 by the end of the year ($16,000 for 2019) plus the employer contributes a matching contribution up to 3% of salary

401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan – Roth or Traditional 401(k) salary deferrals up to $19,500 ($19,000 for 2019) and catch-up contribution of $6,500 ($6,000 for 2019) if you reach age 50 by the end of the year plus an employer profit sharing contribution of up to $37,500 (based on your income) for a total of up to $57,000 if you are under age 50 or $63,500 if you reach age 50 by the end of the year.

Health Savings Account (HSA):

Self-only coverage $3,550 ($3,500 for 2019)

Family coverage $7,100 ($7,000 for 2019)

Catch-up contribution for those age 55 or older by the end of the year $1,000 (no change)

Coverdell Education Savings Account (CESA) – Up to $2,000 per child per year until the child reaches age 18 or if the child is disabled

2020 Investment Account Contribution Limits

Posted on January 6, 2020July 13, 2020 by Quest Trust Company

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

If you have a 401k, SEP IRA, simple IRA, or HSA, you’ll be able to contribute more to your account(s) next year, which can help you build your retirement savings! The limit on contributions changes from one year to the next due to inflation. However, the limits don’t change every year, and this year they don’t impact all types of retirement accounts.

How have the contribution limits changed?

The contribution limits have increased slightly for some types of accounts, and they have stayed the same for others.

2020 Investment Account Contribution Limits:

Account	2019 Limit	2020 Limit
Traditional, Roth IRA	$6,000	$6,000
ESA	$2000	$2000
401(k)	$19,000	$19,500
Individual HSA	$3,500	$3,550
Family HSA	$7,000	$7,100
SEP IRA	$56,000	$57,000
Simple IRA	$13,000	$13,500

What will these changes mean for investors?

These changes will mean that investors will be able to put more money aside for the future, which will lead to a potentially larger nest egg.

Furthermore, it will help to reduce the tax burden on the retirement funds of millions of Americans. In fact, these changes have significantly increased the contribution limits for many investment accounts!

What changes can you expect in the future?

The contribution limits are expected to continue increasing in the future due to inflation. The specific amount that contribution limits will increase by depends on the inflation rate at the time as well as other economic factors, which are difficult to predict.

Therefore, it’s important to stay up to date on future changes to investment account contribution limits, which will allow you to make the most of your retirement accounts every year.

Luckily, opening a Quest account can allow you to easily deposit checks into your investment accounts as quickly as possible, and we’ll do it for free within 24-48 hours. Furthermore, our specialists can ensure that you stay up to date on the latest contribution limits. So, open a Quest account today!

Five Tips for HSA Holders

Posted on December 15, 2017December 23, 2020 by Juan Deshon

Estimated reading time: 3 minutesHealth savings accounts come with many tax benefits and contribution benefits that create a separation between these kinds of accounts and IRAs that are self-directed. What are some ways you can make the most of an HSA?

Investing your HSA

An HSA can be invested in the same things that other self-directed IRAs and 401(k) plans can be. Options like securities that are publicly traded or options of alternative investment are all things that HSA can be invested into. Doing this will allow you to get the same benefits of retirement investing that is self-directed. At the same time, you will be able to get the benefits that an HSA provides.

Qualified Medical Expenses

When you get an HSA, you are given many different opportunities. A lot of the opportunities are very unique. Some of the opportunities allow you to make contributions that are tax-deferred and make distributions that are tax-free, but you can only do these things if they are used towards qualified medical expenses, or if you are paying the holder of the account for a qualified medical expense that was original paid for using money that you have pocketed. A lot of these options can be considered a QME, but distributing money to items that do not fall onto this list will get you penalized.

Strategize Decisions

HSAs will have the most chances to grow if the number of distributions are limited, just like any other investment plan. Try to personally pay for things like prescriptions or cheap QMEs, instead of using your HSA plan, as it will give your HSA more room to grow and more available for expenses that could come about later in life that are more expensive. It’s important to remember that you are not required to immediately distribute money from an HSA. You are allowed to delay the distribution to a time that you think will fit better.

Maximize Your Contributions

Using maximum allowable contributions to make your HSA stronger will make the potential for earning a lot higher and will allow you to take away an equal amount of your contribution from your taxes. A lot of employers are in the process of starting to offer HSA plans that are considered alternatives to PPO plans. Reviewing your options will be extremely beneficial to you, so definitely look into it and selected the option that has the capability to maximize contributions made by an employer.

Healthcare Consumption

With an HSA, it is important that you look into making comparisons between options for medical services and the costs of those so you can save money and help keep your HSA stable. It is recommended that you look into using services for preventative care that are free. It is also important to look into your health care habits and review those, so you can be somewhat prepared for how much of your HSA will be spent. Making positive changes to your life can also help you get a handle on HSA spending in the future.