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Optum Financial institution HSA is a Well being Spending Account (HSA) from Optum, a monetary firm related to the United Healthcare Insurance coverage firm. This account is greatest for these with United Healthcare insurance coverage or who work for an employer that covers the minimal required charges customers need to pay to have an account.
Charges – 5
Buyer Service – 6
Ease of Use – 7
Funding Choices – 6
Minimal Steadiness to Make investments – 6
6
Complete
Optum Financial institution HSA has many thrilling options that might make it an excellent possibility as an HSA supplier. Nonetheless, account holders pay a payment till their stability reaches $5,000 and so they cannot make investments till they’ve saved at the least $2,000.
Execs and Cons
professionals
- Month-to-month payment could also be paid by the employer or waived in some instances
- Low-fee index funds for out there for funding accounts
- High quality funding choices, though restricted
- Receipt vault to trace previous bills
cons
- Month-to-month payment, if not waived or paid by the employer
- Minimal stability for investments
- A restricted menu of funding choices
- Poor customer support evaluations
Who Is Optum Financial institution HSA For?
Our Rating: 6
Month-to-month Payment: $3.75
Steadiness Required to Waive Payment: $5,000
Funding Threshold: $2,000
Optum Financial institution HSA may be a very good match for you in case your employer provides Optum as an HSA supplier or in the event you primarily put money into index funds.
- Employer provides an Optum account. In case your employer gives Optum as an HSA supplier, you would possibly discover it helpful. Extra so if the employer is prepared to pay the month-to-month upkeep payment in your behalf. Optum has glorious, though restricted, funding selections. Optum nonetheless gives sufficient choices to make a portfolio that matches most monetary targets. Particularly for index buyers.
- Index buyers. This account is an efficient match for Traders with a easy index portfolio who need low-cost choices. Optum gives an array of index funds with low expense ratios. Vanguard, Schwab, and Constancy funds can be found from Optum at no further value.
What We Like About Optum Financial institution HSA
When you have an Optum Checking account, there are many issues to love, reminiscent of plentiful funding choices and a good cellular app.
Funding Choices
Optum provides stable funding choices despite the fact that the choice is proscribed. Index buyers will benefit from the low-fee selections reminiscent of funds from Vanguard and acquainted brokers reminiscent of Schwab and Constancy. Goal date funds can be found from Schwab. A number of of the funds in Optum’s lineup have expense ratios which are lower than 0.10%.
Few Account Charges
Optum will solely cost three different forms of account charges.
- ATM transaction payment of $2.50. (Remember the financial institution/ATM you employ might also cost an extra payment.)
- An outbound switch payment of $20.00 or rollover payment to a different HSA supplier.
- A $1.50 payment for printed statements.
Other than the month-to-month payment, Optum prices ATM charges per transaction. In case you keep away from ATMs when potential, it can save you on this small cost. You solely incur an outbound payment while you switch your HSA to a different supplier. This one-time payment is normal amongst rollovers. And the printed assertion payment is definitely prevented by those that favor digital statements.
Receipt Vault
The receipt vault means that you can add receipts to prepare and conveniently retailer them in a single place. That approach, you’ll be able to have them for later reimbursements and tax functions. Guarantee your itemized receipt contains the identify of the supplier or service provider, the date, the precise quantity of expense, and an in depth description. To add the receipt, take an image or scan it and add it to the cellular app or desktop dashboard.
Scheduled Contributions
Establishing computerized deposits into your funding account is an effective way to construct wealth. Scheduling contributions means that you can develop your tax-advantaged HSA account passively. When you meet the funding threshold, you’ll be able to make investments your contributions in line with your fund choices.
Cellular App
The cellular app means that you can do greater than the usual banking capabilities like paying payments and monitoring funds. It could possibly additionally observe contribution limits, seize and submit receipts, seek for certified medical bills, and extra.
One other characteristic of the cellular app is Alexa and Google integration. Optum’s apps permit Google and Alexa to reply frequent questions in regards to the HSA. Questions on qualifying bills, HSA contribution limits, tax kinds, and Optum Financial institution HSA contact data.
Optum’s app also can hook up with totally different digital wallets. Whether or not you wish to hook up with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, the cellular app covers all three.
Certified Medical Expense Device
The certified medical expense software is a searchable net web page of bills. Every expense is listed as a qualifying, potentially-qualifying, or a non-qualifying medical expense. Hover over every listed expense on the web page for extra element about {qualifications}.
The place Optum Financial institution HSA May Enhance
Optum prices a month-to-month upkeep payment that different HSA suppliers don’t cost. Additionally, different HSA suppliers don’t have a minimal funding threshold. Options like Vigorous and Constancy don’t have these charges and minimums. And Optum has a smaller funding choice than some rivals as effectively.
However customer support is the realm the place most reviewers wish to see enchancment. There are frequent points with logins and lengthy wait occasions on the name middle. Reviewers point out a number of transfers on the telephone and unclear communication from the representatives. Different reviewers reported declined qualifying bills, and customer support couldn’t assist resolve the problems.
Optum Financial institution HSA Buyer Service
This buyer help is obtainable on-line help anytime through the FAQ part, which gives fast solutions to frequent issues. Log into your account to see your stability, order a brand new card, or verify your assertion. It even provides an HSA Tax Heart useful resource to your tax questions. Optum gives a contact type for some other points you’ll have. It additionally provides a name middle open Monday-Friday weekly, excluding main holidays.
Charges & Limits
Optum prices a small month-to-month upkeep payment of $3.75. It can waive the payment in the event you preserve a mean stability of $5,000 or extra.
It additionally has an funding threshold. Your stability should stay at or exceed $2,000 every time you make a brand new funding.
How To Open an Account
Earlier than you’ll be able to open an HSA at Optum or any financial institution, you could meet particular {qualifications}, together with a qualifying Excessive-Deductible Well being Plan, to be eligible. Your well being protection ought to solely embrace what’s permissible by the IRS. You possibly can’t be enrolled in Medicare or be claimed as a depending on one other individual’s tax return. The IRS publication 969 accommodates extra details about these situations.
Have your social safety quantity, a legitimate e-mail, and medical ID card along with your group or employer quantity prepared. In case you are enrolling as a person, you’ll not want a medical ID card with the group or employer quantity.
For id verification, you may additionally want a replica of your social safety card and a legitimate state-issued or government-issued picture ID. In case your picture ID doesn’t include your deal with, you may additionally want a replica of an electrical invoice, fuel invoice, renter’s settlement, or mortgage assertion. Your mobile phone invoice will not be accepted.
To switch an HSA, full the appliance for opening an HSA with Optum. After the account is ready up, log in and full an HSA Rollover Switch Request Type. The request type is in Types & Paperwork, underneath the Assist & Instruments menu.
How Secure Is Optum Financial institution HSA?
General, the platform is protected, and Optum protects your account in a number of methods. It makes use of cloud-based enterprise id administration (EIDM) to make sure that solely licensed customers entry your information. It additionally complies with federal privateness rules reminiscent of FISMA, SAS70, and HIPAA, amongst others.
Moreover, Optum’s safety programs help security measures reminiscent of id credentialing, bodily and logical entry administration, sensible card ID badges, biometrics, and HSPD-12 options.
Finest Options
Those that wish to make the most of investing in an HSA, particularly in the course of the first yr of opening the HSA, would possibly profit extra from alternate options with out an funding threshold. If you don’t need a minimal funding threshold or to pay a month-to-month payment, contemplate Vigorous and Constancy as alternate options. Vigorous and Constancy supply extra funding selections as effectively.
Vigorous
Vigorous focuses on HSAs, and they’re glorious. Accounts haven’t got month-to-month recurring charges, and there isn’t any minimal stability required earlier than you’ll be able to entry investing options.
In case you use Vigorous via an employer, they’re charged a modest payment, but it surely’s free for you. Funds for investments are transferred to a linked account at TD Ameritrade, the place you’ll be able to select from any supported funding. TD Ameritrade is a high brokerage in its personal proper, and the partnership with Vigorous is a win-win for everybody.
You possibly can pay for certified bills with the Vigorous debit card, reimburse your self for bills paid through different strategies, or save up bills for future reimbursement. In order for you an HSA that works with any medical insurance firm, has nearly no charges and provides an unlimited vary of investments with no minimums, it is best to contemplate Vigorous.
Constancy
Constancy is among the most important funding brokerages in america. Its HSA is a good alternative, significantly for individuals who already make investments with Constancy. You possibly can select a self-directed account with no recurring account charges or minimums. There’s additionally a hybrid robo-advising model known as the Constancy Go HSA, which requires a month-to-month payment for balances of $10,000 or extra.
The Constancy HSA can be noteworthy for its entry to low-cost investments. This account contains entry to Constancy’s mutual funds with no expense ratio and just about the whole U.S. inventory, bond, ETF, and mutual fund market.
Assured buyers might wish to use the self-directed account with no recurring charges. In case you’re uncertain which shares or funds to purchase, contemplate the competitively priced Constancy Go HSA possibility.
The Backside Line
Optum remains to be a wonderful alternative for an HSA supplier, even with the charges and customer support points. In spite of everything, it’d waive your month-to-month payment.
Different suppliers might have extra in depth funding choices, but it surely nonetheless gives loads of selections for buyers. Nonetheless, Optum has a number of options value , just like the receipt vault and certified medical expense software.
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