At a Glance | February 20, 2020 HSAs and Investing The EBRI HSA Database contains data on 9.8 million accounts 1 with total assets of $22.8 billion. INVESTED HSAS Few HSAs Invest, but Investments Account for a Large Percentage of Total Balances Only 5 percent of health savings Invested Assets accounts (HSAs) in the EBRI HSA 5% Database had assets invested in HSAs with assets invested in options beyond cash options beyond cash at the end 26% of 2018. Despite this, invested Invested assets as a percentage of total assets in the EBRI HSA Database assets accounted for 26 percent of the total assets in the EBRI HSA Database. HSA BALANCES End-of-Year Balances Were Much Higher in Accounts With Investments Average Account Balance Among HSAs With Contributions HSAs with invested assets had significantly higher balances at $59.3k the end of 2018 than accounts Without With Invested Assets Invested Assets without invested assets when examining those accounts by $46.1k the year in which the account $38.2k was opened. $33.0k $28.2k $25.0k $23.1k $22.6k $16.6k $15.0k $13.8k $13.5k $11.6k $9.7k $8.7k $8.3k $7.9k $6.9k $6.4k $5.7k $5.6k $5.2k $5.0k $4.4k $3.3k $3.2k $2.7k $2.1k $1.5k $0.9k 2 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 Year HSA Was Opened HSA DISTRIBUTIONS The Likelihood and Size of Distributions Were Higher in Accounts With Investments While it might be expected that individuals who invested Without Invested Assets With Invested Assets their account balance were using the account solely as Average annual Average annual a long-term savings vehicle, 59% 63% HSA distribution HSA distribution the opposite appears to have took a took a distribution $1.8k distribution $2.6k been true. Both investors and non-investors used the HSA +5959 J+4141 63+63 37J37+ to self-fund medical expenses. 1 As of Dec. 31, 2018. 2 2004 or earlier. Includes Archer Medical Savings Account (MSA) rollovers. SOURCE: Paul Fronstin and Jake Spiegel, “Health Savings Account Balances, Contributions, Distributions, and Other Vital Statistics, 2018: Statistics From the EBRI HSA Database,” EBRI Issue Brief, no. 496 (Employee Benefit Research Institute, December 5, 2019). © 2020 EBRI This report is copyrighted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). You may copy, print, or download this report solely for personal and noncommercial use, provided that all hard copies retain any and all copyright and other applicable notices contained therein, and you may cite or quote small portions of the report provided that you do so verbatim and with proper citation. Any use beyond the scope of the foregoing requires EBRI’s prior express permission. For permissions, please contact EBRI at permissions@ebri.org.