New Perspectives on Healthcare Savings Accounts

When I first heard about Healthcare Savings Accounts, I was intrigued, then disappointed, and then forgot about them.

The idea behind an HSA is that you put money in an IRA-like account (tax-free) that can only be used for healthcare expenses. My medical expenses aren't that high -- why do this?

Well, it turns out I was wrong to dismiss the idea. The Mad Fientist has written a truly excellent piece on the advantages of HSAs, and I now think they deserve a position in most people's tax-advantaged accounts, especially if they've maxed out their other tax-advantaged vehicles like IRAs and 401ks.