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The account with three tax breaks is the one most people ignore at enrollment.

A health savings account is tax-free going in, tax-free growing, and tax-free coming out for medical costs. For 2026 you can put in $4,400 alone or $8,750 for a family.

You asked for the HSA checklist. It is below, as the slides from the post, then the one move, then the tool the chart points at.

Slide 1 of 7: The account with three tax breaks is the one most people ignore at enrollment.Slide 2 of 7: The 2026 HSA numbers, from IRS Publication 969.Slide 3 of 7: No other account is tax-free at all three points, which is why people who understand it treat it as a second retirement account.Slide 4 of 7: The account is tied to a high-deductible plan, and the word deductible scares people off before they do the arithmetic.Slide 5 of 7: If you use a lot of care, a high-deductible plan can cost more, and the HSA does not change that.Slide 6 of 7: Three checks before you pick a plan.Slide 7 of 7: Save this for open enrollment.

Three checks before you pick a plan.

  1. 01
    Does the plan's deductible meet the IRS minimum?$1,700 self-only or $3,400 family for 2026. If yes, it can pair with an HSA.
  2. 02
    Does the employer put money into the HSA?Many do. It is part of your compensation.
  3. 03
    Set the contribution and invest the balance above one deductible.Cash for this year's costs, the rest growing.

The tool this chart points at

A low-fee brokerage

For the IRA, the index fund and the rollover. Broad index funds with expense ratios under 0.1%.

Open it

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Sources: IRS Publication 969, 2026 figures.

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