Honest question - HSAs are a "relatively"new investment vehicle (seems niche to me don't hear of my peers using it), in my mind it seems kind of risky to put a bunch of money in for use like a normal IRA I reach retirement decades away. Am I offbase in thinking we have no idea what legislative or other changes are in store that might make it a bad idea to put money in?
There is no bigger risk of changes In tax rules for HSA than there is for 401k or IRA. There is always a chance that tax changes can screw us over, but HSA is no more risky in that area than anything else
This
Seems riskier not to use an HSA, if you have access to one. They’re triple tax advantaged.
You get tax deduction for contribution, tax free for health related withdrawal, and tax free after 59.5. Sounds like a big bargain to me
sorry seems I have some inaccurate info above…but my point being that HSA is really great to have if you can
Rising Star
You may not hear of peers using it because they may not qualify. You must be enrolled in a qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP) in order to use it. While they have become more popular in recent years, a) some firms don’t offer them, and b) even if offered, many employees choose PPO / HMO type plans that are not qualified for HSA.
And I agree with E1, there is no indication that Congress would change the law. So while it’s always possible, there’s no particular reason to think it will happen.
Chief
The Constitution forbids Congress from passing ex post facto laws. You’re not guaranteed an HSA contribution for life but future laws won’t impact the status of your current contributions.
Pro
Oh boy, you don't know what you are missing!