My HSA just got a lot better!

Discuss all general (i.e. non-personal) investing questions and issues, investing news, and theory.
Post Reply
Topic Author
jlg
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:45 am

My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by jlg »

My company switched from JPMC HSA to Optumhealth HSA this year. I was pissed, as we had just started with JPMC last year and now we had to learn all about the twists and turns that a new custodian would provide. As most of us know, cost is not at all straightforward when it comes to HSA. With JPMC with had a few schedule which changed based on dollars invested, what portion my company was paying and if you invested your funds or not. The investment options were poor, but there was an S&P 500 index fund for 20bps.

With Optumhealth we pay no fees - which is awesome. However, they have an annoying policy which keeps you from investing 100% of your funds. You cannot invest in the offered mutual funds until your balance reaches $2100. However, what this means is that you can invest $100, as the minimum investment you can make is $100 and you must have $2000 in cash first. I do a lump sum contribution and thus when I tried to invest $6450 for this years contribution, it only allowed me to invest $4450 and the remaining $2000 had to stay in cash (earning something pathetic - 0.45%?)

However, where Optumhealth got you was with the expense ratios if you choose to invest. The cheapest fund offered was the MainStay S&P 500 Index for a ridiculous 60bps!?! What? Highway robbery. For the sake of simplicity (and having already rolled over funds from JPMC this year), I decided that this was only a small percentage of my portfolio and I would suck up the fees.

Today I login to my Optumhealth account and I see that THEY ADDED NEW FUND OFFERINGS!

Vanguard 500 Index Inv VFINX
Vanguard Wellington Inv VWELX
Vanguard Global Equity Inv VHGEX

(Plus two other funds not worth mentioning.)

I quickly exchanged my MainStay shares for VFINX and will be saving myself 43bps per $10,000!! I'm checking with other folks to see if they also see these options, of if I hit some magical threshold. So AWESOME!

Paying only the ER on VFINX for my HSA is pretty sweet. I can still consider a transfer to HSA Bank if I want to access low cost Bond funds ... but in total I may end up paying more on an annual basis. I don't consider HSA funds "special", so holding 100% equity (minus $2000 in cash) does not bother me.

Just wanted to share with folks who may care.
User avatar
tainted-meat
Posts: 838
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:35 pm
Location: Kentucky

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by tainted-meat »

Thanks for the heads up. I also have Optum Health Bank and checked the options after reading your post. To my pleasant surprise those funds are now on mine as well. Vanguard, here I come :D
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by stoptothink »

I have Health Equity. Same thing, the first $2k remains in the savings account and you can only invest the surplus. Our investment options are nowhere near as good as yours, no index funds and the costs are absurd. Better than leaving it in the savings account, which I believe pays .05% on the first $5k.
ftobin
Posts: 1071
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:28 pm

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by ftobin »

stoptothink wrote:I have Health Equity. Same thing, the first $2k remains in the savings account and you can only invest the surplus. Our investment options are nowhere near as good as yours, no index funds and the costs are absurd. Better than leaving it in the savings account, which I believe pays .05% on the first $5k.
You might want to check your options again. Your selection might be more limited, but it appears Health Equity has Vanguard Large Cap Index. Dodge and Cox Income Fund is reasonably-priced if you want a bond fund.
Easy Rhino
Posts: 3278
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:13 am
Location: San Diego

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by Easy Rhino »

Don't hate on the $2k cash requirement too much, remember that the typical use of an HSA is for healthcare spending, and the cash buffer helps reduce the need for customers to transfers funds back and forth or weird 'overdraft' situations.

But hey, you're saving 43bp on $8k a year so that's almost $35 a year. I'm still a boglehead, and I'd cheer about that as well :)
Cuzz35
Posts: 469
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 11:14 pm
Location: Marietta, GA

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by Cuzz35 »

My HSA bank requires you to keep $1k in cash. When I first looked at the funds I grimaced but they do have Vanguard 500 index at. 06! Plus my employer puts in 1k a year and pays all account fees.

Congrats on getting some good funds.
User avatar
zaboomafoozarg
Posts: 2430
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:34 pm

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by zaboomafoozarg »

I thought you could just have an HSA at any company you wanted.
ftobin
Posts: 1071
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:28 pm

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by ftobin »

zaboomafoozarg wrote:I thought you could just have an HSA at any company you wanted.
The benefit if having it go through an employer is that often they'll pay account fees, and you don't have to pay Social Security and Medicare on the income. If you claim a deduction later, you don't get the SS and Medicare back -- just your income taxes.

I personally go with the option of holding my HSA independently, since lower expense ratio I'll get through funds of my choosing will eventually outweigh the extra SS and Medicare payments. If I had low-cost funds available I'd stick with my employer's HSA provider.
User avatar
yukonjack
Posts: 647
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:36 pm
Location: Rocky Mountain West

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by yukonjack »

Not sure about the original post. I've been in Wellington with Optum HSA for several years now and the minimum cash balance is $600. It had been $500 but was recently increased.
Topic Author
jlg
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:45 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by jlg »

yukonjack wrote:Not sure about the original post. I've been in Wellington with Optum HSA for several years now and the minimum cash balance is $600. It had been $500 but was recently increased.
http://www.optumhealthbank.com/using-yo ... 9DFF9&_z=z

"Your actual investment options may vary depending on your specific HSA plan."

What I also gather is that different plans include different fee schedules and, likely, investment minimums. Why mine is so high? I have no idea. I don't understand why these "plans" aren't transparent or operate like a no-fee IRA.
User avatar
brisni
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:45 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by brisni »

Thanks for the heads up. My employer also uses OptumHealthBank. I just checked, and yes the 3 vanguard funds are there. You would think they would announce ahead of time. Anyway, I went ahead and changed my allocations to take advantage.

- Brian
itworks
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:20 pm

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by itworks »

Thanks for the information. Logged into my Optum Health Bank account and I am disappointed those vanguard funds are not available. I am going to email my employer's benefits representative asking about the possibility to add them.

@jlg: Yes different plans include different fee schedules and, likely, investment minimums. Mine is $2000 + 100 (same as you), monthly fee paid by the employer, but, there are still a myriad of fees that I am less used to.
User avatar
grabiner
Advisory Board
Posts: 35265
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:58 pm
Location: Columbia, MD

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by grabiner »

ftobin wrote:
zaboomafoozarg wrote:I thought you could just have an HSA at any company you wanted.
The benefit if having it go through an employer is that often they'll pay account fees, and you don't have to pay Social Security and Medicare on the income. If you claim a deduction later, you don't get the SS and Medicare back -- just your income taxes.
However, you can let the employer make contributions to its designated provider, and then transfer funds to a different HSA custodian, just as you can do with an IRA. You may have to pay fees at the second custodian, but that could be worth it if you get better investment options.
Wiki David Grabiner
User avatar
Hub
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:56 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by Hub »

grabiner wrote:
ftobin wrote:
zaboomafoozarg wrote:I thought you could just have an HSA at any company you wanted.
The benefit if having it go through an employer is that often they'll pay account fees, and you don't have to pay Social Security and Medicare on the income. If you claim a deduction later, you don't get the SS and Medicare back -- just your income taxes.
However, you can let the employer make contributions to its designated provider, and then transfer funds to a different HSA custodian, just as you can do with an IRA. You may have to pay fees at the second custodian, but that could be worth it if you get better investment options.
Yes, once my balance gets significant this is my plan. That will be several years from now, but it appears the options are slowly but surely improving for investing within HSAs.

Mine is in JPMC and ours is free until you open the investment account with a $2000 minimum and then the fees are $24 annual and the best fund is an S&P500 at 0.45% (OGEAX). Not too bad, but still pretty expensive on balances below $10,000.
Topic Author
jlg
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:45 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by jlg »

Got an email from OptumHealth Bank indicating that they are removing the following funds in 30 days:


Federated Master Trust Money Market FMTXX
Federated US Govt 2-5 Year FIGTX
John Hancock Classic Value PZFVX
John Hancock Money Market Fund JHMXX
Mainstay S&P 500 Index Fund MSXAX
Thornburg Value Fund TVAFX

They dont' go as far to announce the new funds, but rather talk about them as "Alternatives" to the removed funds. In any case, having the Vanguard S&P 500 fund has been a great replacement for the Mainstay S&P index. Lets hope this is a trend for all HSAs!
User avatar
ejvyas
Posts: 773
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:09 am
Location: Boston, MA

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by ejvyas »

Got an email about the new funds :beer
User avatar
Hub
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:56 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by Hub »

Speaking of HSA's I just found out my wife's Disability Insurance premiums are qualified HSA expenses. Which is nice. I'll go ahead and place those receipts into the "save this forever" folder.
User avatar
tarnation
Posts: 2544
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:36 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by tarnation »

Hub wrote:Speaking of HSA's I just found out my wife's Disability Insurance premiums are qualified HSA expenses. Which is nice. I'll go ahead and place those receipts into the "save this forever" folder.
This was a new one on me. I checked Pub 502, it says

Code: Select all

Insurance Premiums You Cannot Include
You cannot include premiums you pay for:
-Life insurance policies,
- Policies providing payment for loss of earnings,
To me this sounds like it specifically says that disablitiy ins it NOT qualified medical expense.
Image
User avatar
Hub
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:56 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by Hub »

Thank you for the correction. I read long-term care insurance on the approved list and thought long-term disability insurance in my head. Sorry for the careless info.
itworks
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 2:20 pm

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by itworks »

Logged into my optum health bank account and was pleasantly surprised that the three Vanguard funds are also added. Weird that there is no email communication on this change. And, this was contradictory to what my company benefit representative told me 3 weeks ago, who said there is no plan to adjust the fund choices.
User avatar
brisni
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:45 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by brisni »

Optum health bank just added three more Vanguard funds... mid cap index, small cap index, and equity income.
Also new is the PIMCO commodity derivatives fund. Here is the complete list of available funds. I just wish they
had an international index.

American Funds Capital World* CWGFX World Stock-Large Value
Blackrock Equity Dividend MDDVX Equity
Goldman Sachs Balanced Strat GIPAX Allocation
Goldman Sachs Gr & Inc Strat GOIAX Allocation
Goldman Sachs Growth Strategy GGSAX Allocation
John Hancock High Yield A JHHBX Fixed Income
John Hancock Large Equity Fund TAGRX Equity
JP Morgan Prime Money Market VPMXX Money Market
Keeley Small Cap Value KSCVX Equity
Munder Mid Cap Core Growth MGOAX Equity
Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund NBGNX Equity
Neuberger Berman Real Estate NREAX Equity
Oppenheimer Developing Markets ODMAX International
PIMCO All Asset PASAX Allocation
PIMCO Commodity Real Return PCRAX Specialty
PIMCO GNMA PAGNX Fixed Income
PIMCO Low Duration PTLAX Fixed Income
PIMCO Real Return Fund PRTNX Fixed Income
PIMCO Small Cap Stocks Plus PCKAX Equity
Vanguard Equity-Income* VEIPX Large Cap Value
Vanguard Global Equity * VHGEX World Stock-Large Blend
Vanguard Mid Cap Index* VIMSX Mid Cap Blend
Vanguard S&P 500 Index* VFINX Indexed
Vanguard Small Cap Index* NAESX Indexed
Vanguard Wellington Fund* VWELX Equity
Topic Author
jlg
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:45 am

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by jlg »

And better and better and better! Optumhealth just announced Admiral Shares for Vanguard Funds!

Current Share Class
Vanguard Vanguard S&P 500 Investor VFINX 0.17
Vanguard Vanguard Small Cap Investor NAESX 0.24
Vanguard Vanguard Mid Cap Investor VIMSX 0.24
Vanguard Vanguard Wellington Investor VWELX 0.26
Vanguard Vanguard Equity-Income Investor VEIPX 0.30
Neuberger Berman Neuberger Berman Genesis Investor NBGNX 1.01

New Share Class
Vanguard Vanguard S&P 500 Admiral VFIAX 0.05
Vanguard Vanguard Small Cap Admiral VSMAX 0.09
Vanguard Vanguard Mid Cap Admiral VIMAX 0.09
Vanguard Vanguard Wellington Admiral VWENX 0.18
Vanguard Vanguard Equity-Income Admiral VEIRX 0.21
Neuberger Berman Neuberger Berman Genesis Institutional NBGIX 0.84

Effective April 24th.
User avatar
grabiner
Advisory Board
Posts: 35265
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:58 pm
Location: Columbia, MD

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by grabiner »

jlg wrote:And better and better and better! Optumhealth just announced Admiral Shares for Vanguard Funds!.
Thanks for the update; the Health Savings Account page on the wiki has been updated.
Wiki David Grabiner
User avatar
brisni
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:45 pm
Location: Austin, TX

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by brisni »

I logged into my OptumBank HSA today, and was presently surprised to see that they now offer Vanguard Life Strategy funds!
For the record, here is the complete list of both the good and bad...

Code: Select all

Investment Name	Ticker Symbol	Asset Class
American Funds Capital World* 	CWGFX 	World Stock-Large Value
Blackrock Equity Dividend 	MDDVX 	Equity
Fidelity Low-Priced Stock 	FLPSX 	Mid Cap Value
Goldman Sachs Balanced Strat 	GIPAX 	Allocation
Goldman Sachs Gr & Inc Strat 	GOIAX 	Allocation
Goldman Sachs Growth Strategy 	GGSAX 	Allocation
John Hancock High Yield A 	JHHBX 	Fixed Income
John Hancock Large Equity Fund 	TAGRX 	Equity
JP Morgan Prime Money Market 	VPMXX 	Money Market
Keeley Small Cap Value 	KSCVX 	Equity
Lord Abbett High Yield 	LHYAX 	Fixed Income
Neuberger Berman Genesis Fund - INST 	NBGIX 	Equity
Neuberger Berman Real Estate 	NREAX 	Equity
Oppenheimer Developing Markets 	ODMAX 	International
PIMCO All Asset 	PASAX 	Allocation
PIMCO Commodity Real Return Strategy 	PCRAX 	Specialty
PIMCO GNMA 	PAGNX 	Fixed Income
PIMCO Low Duration 	PTLAX 	Fixed Income
PIMCO Real Return Fund 	PRTNX 	Fixed Income
PIMCO Stocks Plus Small 	PCKAX 	Equity
T. Rowe Price Blue Chip 	TRBCX 	Large Cap Growth Stock
Vanguard Equity-Income - A* 	VEIRX 	Large Cap Value
Vanguard Extended Market * 	VEXAX 	Small Cap Growth
Vanguard Global Equity * 	VHGEX 	World Stock-Large Blend
Vanguard Healthcare* 	VGHAX 	Alternative Blend
Vanguard Life Strategy-Growth* 	VASGX 	Aggressive Allocation
Vanguard LifeStrategy-Conservative Growth* 	VSCGX 	Conservative Allocation
Vanguard LifeStrategy-Moderate Growth* 	VSMGX 	Moderate Allocation
Vanguard Mid Cap Index - A* 	VIMAX 	Mid Cap Blend
Vanguard REIT* 	VGSLX 	Alternative Blend
Vanguard S&P 500 Index - A* 	VFIAX 	Indexed
Vanguard Small Cap Index - A* 	VSMAX 	Indexed
Vanguard Total Stock Market * 	VTSAX 	Large Cap Blend
Vanguard Wellington - A* 	VWENX 	Equity
Victory Munder Mid Cap Core Growth 	MGOAX 	Equity
Grogs
Posts: 1173
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:55 pm

Re: My HSA just got a lot better!

Post by Grogs »

Thanks. This update is timely. I just enrolled in an HSA through Optum. My money is being deposited monthly, and my annual max is $3350 so it will be a while before I can invest any of it, but it's good to know they have good options.
Post Reply