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Quarterly: Oct 17 Better Thinking... The world is complex, and it can tax our mental resources to process all the information that is coming our way. To keep up with all the data that our minds are processing, we come up with time-saving (and energy saving) rules of thumb, called heuristics. We may be applying these heuristics unconsciously, and they don’t even need to be rational. We simply need to believe them. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Nobel Prize winner and author Daniel Kahneman breaks down our decision-making process into two systems. To keep things simple he describes them as “System 1” and “System 2.” System 1 is intuitive and emotional. It is fast and easy. “There was a shark attack last week, I am never going to the beach again.” System 2 is deliberative and logical. It is also slow and requires effort. “What are the chances of getting attacked by a shark? Are they higher today than they were last week? Is swimming in the ocean more dangerous than swimming in a community pool?” If I were to ask you “What is 7 times 3?” You could access System 1 and respond immediately with “21.” If I were to ask you “What is 277 times 53?” You could respond with the correct answer, but it would likely require you to tap into System 2 before you answered correctly. System 2 requires a deeper level of thinking, and it requires a near-exclusive devotion to the problem-solving effort. It would be nearly impossible for someone to multiply 277 by 53 in their head while writing out instructions on how to make banana bread - even if they had a great recipe for banana bread stored in their memory. That’s because System 2 thinking requires concentration to solve the problem. The interesting thing about System 2 is that it can morph into System 1 when we spend hundreds or thousands of hours training our mind. Here are two examples: My younger son got his license back in February. When he first started driving, it took all of his concentration to remember where to put his hands on the steering wheel, the rules of the road, and the process of looking ahead, behind and the sides of the road to identify threats. When we first start driving, we go into “System 2” to concentrate on the task at hand. As time goes by, those basic driving and awareness skills become second-nature to us, and driving can move from a System 2 process to a System 1 process. I often listen to podcasts while driving on the interstate. I can do this because System 1 takes over, and driving is second-nature . Another example of this would be Garry Kasparov, who retired from professional chess after being ranked as the world’s top chess player for 20 years. If Gary were to come and play 10 amateur chess players, he could play them all at the same time. We could line them up and Gary could could move from player to player, knowing immediately what his next move would be. The next move on a chess board is second nature for Gary because he has played thousands of games. He knows the implications of moving the rook or moving the queen. He doesn’t need to access System 2 to beat an inexperienced player. The challenge with our System 1 and System 2 thinking is when we "think" we are an expert, or we have a life experience that impacts us. This perception of “expertise” or the impact of life experience can shape our decision-making process in an equally profound way – to our benefit and to our detriment. That’s because these experiences build the heuristics that we use as short-cuts to make decisions, and some of these heuristics are helpful, but some are not. So how do we distinguish between the two? Understanding how System 1 and System 2 work together is critical because we cannot always trust our System 1 intuitions. And a big part of our challenge is that System 1 is so much easier to operate from, because we have all the data to reinforce our personal biases. How do we determine which of these short-cuts lead to better outcomes? Over the next few weeks we will explore how to limit the downside of our System 1/System 2 thinking and how to use these two systems to make better investment decisions. Read Part Two: "...Better Decisions"

Be aware of the special situations that could cause you to owe when you file your taxes next year. Save as PDF Read more articles Share 1 2 AVOID SURPRISES ON YOUR 2018 TAX RETURN According to the IRS, the number of taxpayers who owe at the end of the year has increased 40% in recent years. To make matters worse, if you owe money on your tax return you will also likely be charged penalties and interest for not paying the correct amount throughout the year. The best way to avoid this is to make adjustments to your federal withholdings with your employer or to make estimated tax payments throughout the year. To get started you should determine if you are likely to have a balance due when you file your 2018 tax return next year. WHY DO I OWE? When you are paid by your employer they are required to withhold federal taxes to cover your expected liability. However, these withholdings are not always sufficient to cover your final tax bill due to various factors that can affect your tax liability. Several of these factors include: More than one source of income . If you work more than one job, or if you have a spouse that also works, you have an increased chance of owing on your tax return. This is because each employer only accounts for the wages they are paying you when determining how much taxes to withhold. When you have more than one source of income you could be in a higher tax bracket than your employer expects. Significant increase in income. When you start making more money you run the risk of being phased out of various tax deductions that you may have qualified for in the past. And if you receive a large pay raise in the middle of the year, your withholdings in the first half of the year may no longer be sufficient for that portion of your income when you move into a higher tax bracket. No longer claiming your child. Claiming your child on your tax return can reduce your tax bill by $2,000-3,500 per year. So when you child moves out on their own, or when you cannot claim your child due to divorce, it can take a heavy toll on your tax bill. Major life changes. Getting married, getting divorced, or retiring. These are all major life changes that can have a dramatic impact on your tax return. When you go through one of these changes you should be prepared for significant changes to your tax bill. WHAT TO DO? If any of the above situations apply then you are at increased risk of having to pay when you file your 2018 tax return. To avoid this you can change your withholdings with your employer. If you have more than one job we recommend claiming zero allowances with your second employer. You can also request that an additional specified amount be taken out of each check and put toward your federal tax liability. You can also estimate your final tax bill and make quarterly estimated payments to reduce or eliminate your bill at the end of the year. If you still owe, making quarterly payments can help you avoid paying additional penalties when you file your return. If you would like help determining if you should adjust your withholdings or make estimated payments please give us a call. 1 2 3 4 Save as PDF Read more articles Share Failing to order your affairs to minimize your tax burden could cost you significant money - so don't wait to take action. If you have additional questions or need some planning help, please reach out to us.

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TAX TALK In our articles we will frequently use tax-specific phrases that while second nature to us, may be confusing to many of our readers. To clear up some of that confusion we have provided some definitions for the most common phrases below. Adjusted Gross Income Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is defined as gross income minus adjustments to income. Gross income includes your wages, dividends, capital gains, business income, retirement distributions as well as other income. Adjustments to Income include such items as Educator expenses, Student loan interest, Alimony payments or contributions to a retirement account. Many deductions and credits on your tax return are determined by your AGI. Tax Credits vs Tax Deductions There are two ways your tax burden can be reduced: Tax Credits which directly reduce your tax bill, and tax deductions which indirectly reduce your tax bill by lowering the amount of your taxable income. Let’s say you have taxable income of $10,000 which is taxed at 25%, your tax bill on that income is $2,500. If you receive a tax deduction of $1,000 it will bring your taxable income down to $9,000, reducing your tax bill to $2,250 and saving you $250. IF instead you have a tax credit of $1,000 it will directly reduce your $2,500 tax bill down to $1,500, saving you the full $1,000. Filing Status. Your filing status determines the deductions and credits you qualify for and how much tax you pay on your income. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for more than one filing status, in which case you can choose the one more beneficial to you. These are the five filing statuses: Single. This is the normal filing status for taxpayers who are not married or who are legally separated Married Filing Jointly . Taxpayers who are married can file a joint tax return, reporting all of their income and expenses together Married Filing Separately. Taxpayers who are married can instead choose to file separate tax returns, each reporting their own income and expenses. It is generally better to file a joint return to keep taxes low, but in rare circumstances it can be more beneficial to file separate. Head of Household. Taxpayers who are unmarried and provide more than half the cost of maintaining a home for themselves and at least one other qualifying person can file head of household. This filing status provides larger deductions and lower tax rates than filing single making it the best option for taxpayers who qualify. Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child. Taxpayers whose spouse died within the last 2 years can choose this filing status if they have a dependent child. This status allows them to claim the same deductions and tax rates as if they were filing a joint tax return. Your filing status for any given year is determined by your marital status on the last day of the year. A couple who get married December 31st can file a joint return for that year even though they were unmarried for the majority of the year. This rule does not apply in the death of a spouse. When a spouse dies the surviving spouse can file a joint tax return for the year of death. Itemized Deductions vs Standard Deduction There are two ways you can take deductions on your tax return: you can itemize deductions or use the standard deduction. The standard deduction is a set amount and is based on your filing status. If you itemize your deductions you will take the actual amount you spent on allowable deductions which include: Mortgage interest paid on your personal residence State income taxes paid Real estate taxes paid on your personal residence Medical expenses paid including out-of-pocket premiums paid Charitable donations Each of these deductions is subject to various limitations. Since the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, most taxpayers will benefit more from taking the standard deduction than from itemizing their deductions.

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Get Started Simplify Your Crypto Tax Filing – Expert Help for Crypto Investors Stay compliant with IRS guidelines while maximizing deductions for your cryptocurrency trades. Book a Free Consultation Expertise in Crypto Taxes Specialists in crypto tax regulations. Accurate Reporting Tools and expertise for tracking and reporting trades. Maximize Deductions Strategies to minimize tax liability. Problem 1 Struggling to track your trades across multiple exchanges? Solution We simplify the process by consolidating all your trading activity into a single, comprehensive report. Problem 2 Confused about tax regulations for staking and DeFi Solution Our experts provide clarity and ensure proper categorization to avoid mistakes Problem Cryptocurrency Tax Challenges Does your tax preparer handle activities like trading, staking, mining, airdrops, DeFi, and NFTs? Are you worried about staying compliant with evolving IRS cryptocurrency taxation guidelines? Are you missing out on deductions for mining equipment or operational costs? Do you struggle to calculate your basis for various positions? Solution Most tax software lacks the ability to robustly track cryptocurrency activities, leading to incomplete or incorrect filings, and increasing the risk of audits or penalties. Monotelo Advisors resolves these issues by: Offering advanced crypto-tax solutions tailored to trading, staking, mining, DeFi, and more Ensuring compliance with the latest IRS guidelines. Maximizing deductions, including those for operational costs and equipment Simplifying basis reporting to ensure precise and accurate tax preparation The Process Step 1 Request access to your secure portal. Sign Up Step 2 Upload Your Documents Upload all your tax documents easily and securely to your portal Step 3 We Prepare and Review Our team will prepare your return and ensure it’s accurate and compliant. If you trade on non-traditional platforms (other than Coinbase or Robinhood, etc.), please provide the transaction basis information. If we notice any missing information, we’ll follow up promptly. Step 4 Review and Approval Once your return is complete, we’ll notify you via text, email, or phone—your choice! You’ll have the option to review your return with one of our tax experts. Step 5 We Handle the Rest After your review, we’ll finalize and electronically file your tax return. Get Started Let's get started! First name Last name Email Phone Street Address City, State, Zip Code Submit Get Started Resources Crypto Tax Prep Checklist 5 Crypto Mistakes to Avoid Should I choose a CPA or an Enrolled Agent? Tax Prep Checklist The Mega Back-Door Roth – A Powerful Retirement Strategy Our Pricing Basic Starts at $350 up to 25 transactions Plus Starts at $425 up to 100 transactions Advanced Starts at $650 up to 1,000 transactions Contact for a quote Get Started Additional schedules from other sources of income or deductions may incur an additional fee. Don’t wait until the deadline – simplify your crypto taxes today! Start Your Crypto Tax Return Now © 2025 by Monotelo Inc. info@monotelo.com 800-961-0298 View our privacy policy

Testing real estate page. A Better Way Our Services Retirement Planning Testimonials Our Team Providing Successful Real Estate Agents With A Proven Path To Reducing Tax Liability. Proactive Tax & Accounting Services That Help You Keep More Of What You Earn Click Here To Schedule Your Free Consultation Now! To Top Anchor 1 A Better Way To Secure Your Financial Future Let us help you keep a higher percentage of your commission. Why Monotelo We will help you keep more of your hard-earned commissions. At Monotelo, we guarantee to save you more on your taxes than what you spend with our firm. How we work with agents We start every new client conversation with a tax discussion. From there, we customize the strategies to your unique situation to maximize your tax savings . Tax tips and Strategies The new tax code radically impacted your tax situation. We continually invest in our education so that when changes happen, we're ready to meet the challenge. White Papers Real world examples of our clients saving between $6,000 and $15,000 per year . White Papers are available to you upon request during your free consultation. Schedule Your Free Consultation Now! To Top Anchor 2 The Tax Planning Services You Deserve Your Tax Savings Come From Our Strategic Advice. Tax Savings Strategies Tax savings for small business owners goes way beyond a simple home office deduction, personal car miles and cell phone bills. Monotelo's tax savings strategies are designed to capture the intersection between the federal tax code and your unique situation as a small business owner. Market Compensation Most S-Corp owners are aware of the tax benefits of separating wage income from S-corp profits, but expose themselves when they fail to address IRS fair market compensation requirements. The Monotelo process is designed to audit-proof your owners' compensation while minimizing your tax liability. Entity Selection Process Your choice of entity matters. LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, Sole Proprietorship, LLP all have different tax implications; and the best entity structure for your business depends on your unique personal financial situation. Monotelo can help you determine the tax deduction advantages and disadvantages of each option. Entity Structuring When buying or starting a business, one of the first things to consider is the legal form you will use to own and operate the business. Once the ideal entity structure has been identified, Monotelo can help you get your entity in place and equip you to operate within compliance of state and federal regulations. Schedule Your Free Consultation With A Tax Expert Who Can Help You in 2019! To Top Anchor 3 Allocating Your Tax Savings To Create Growth The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Enacted in January of 2018 shifted the Retirement Planning landscape. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act radically shifted the Retirement Planning Landscape. Are you taking advantage of the new opportunities? The new tax law instituted several significant changes to the individual income tax, including reforms to itemized deductions, the alternative minimum tax and lower marginal tax rates across brackets. These changes radically impact how small business owners should be preparing for retirement. If your financial plan was put in place prior to December of 2017 you are likely missing out. Don't Procrastinate! Schedule Today! To Top Anchor 4 Hear from other Real Estate Professionals just like You Lisa - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Top 1% of all Wisconsin Agents “I worked all those years with my last CPA, and he helped write off my expenses, but I’ve never had anyone who could help me save money on my taxes the way Monotelo Advisors has for me. I would recommend Monotelo to anyone in the real estate business.” Reggie - Southern Illinois Top 1% of all Illinois Agents "I probably tell five people a week: 'If you want to save money and protect your assets, call Monotelo. If not, keep doing what you're doing.' Monotelo is great at tax planning, and if you are not working with them, you are throwing money away." Rick - Re/Max Broker-Owner Re/Max Catalyst Recognition 8 Years in a Row Rick - Re/Max Broker-Owner Re/Max Catalyst Recognition 8 Years in a Row "I tell my highest producing agents: 'You've got to do better with the money you are making.' Then I tell them to go and talk to Monotelo. We care about all aspects of our agent's business - that's why we brought Monotelo out to speak to all of our high-producing agents." Schedule Now! To Top Anchor 5 Meet Your New Team Jim Richter Tax Planning Expert Jim brings 20+ years of experience in the financial services industry to Monotelo Advisors. Prior to founding Monotelo, Jim spent 7 years as a Managing Director and Partner at PT Asset Management, a $1.7 billion alternative asset manager in Chicago. Prior to his time at PTAM Jim spent 9 years as a fixed income specialist in the banking industry. Jim is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst with a degree in Finance from the University of Illinois – Chicago. He is an Enrolled Agent, a federally authorized tax practitioner empowered by the US Treasury. Gavin Tabb Tax Planning Expert In addition to providing our small business clients with seamless payroll and bookkeeping services, Gavin supports our tax research that drives the strategies our clients employ to save on their federal and state income tax liabilities. Gavin has a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University. He is an Enrolled Agent, a federally authorized tax practitioner empowered by the US Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Gavin is also an Intuit QuickBooks Certified User. Marianne Richter Engagement Manager Marianne is responsible for ensuring that Monotelo delivers a high level of customer service and exceeds the expectations of our small business relationships. Marianne brings 13+ years of diversified training and marketing experience in the consumer goods industry to Monotelo. With a bachelor's degree in marketing, Marianne worked in senior management roles at Kraft Foods for more than a decade. She had national profit and loss responsibility and was responsible for training their national sales teams. To Top Anchor 6 2250 Point Boulevard / Suite 230 Elgin, IL 60123 Office Hours Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST 800-961-0298 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Schedule Your Free Consultation Now!

At Monotelo Advisors we work hard to free up cash flow by helping you minimize your federal tax liability, giving you more money to reinvest into your future. Welcome to Monotelo Advisors Tax expertise that delivers. CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION SMALL BUSINESS PUBLIC SERVANTS TAX EXPERTISE Our Mission: To make a difference with meaningful and actionable financial solutions that positively impact our client's lives.

YEAR END Tax Planning With roughly 6 weeks to go until we can say goodbye to 2020, now is a great time to review your personal situation and consider any year-end adjustments to minimize your short and long-term tax liability. We have identified five year-end planning strategies you can use to minimize your tax burden. Maximize Your Retirement Account Contributions If you have a 401(k), 403(b) or 457 retirement account you can contribute up to $19,500 ($26,000 if you are over the age of 50) for 2020. Contributions to any of these plans must be made before January 1st to apply to 2020. Before you contribute to your 401(k) you should watch our 4-minute video Why 401k Plans Are Sub-Optimal . You can also contribute up to $6,000 ($7,000 if you are over the age of 50) to a traditional or Roth IRA for 2020 depending on your income. Contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs can be made up until April 15th of next year and still be applied to your 2020 contributions. If you qualify for a Health Savings Account you should max out your contributions to the HSA before making further contributions to your other retirement accounts. This is because HSAs allow for a tax deduction for your contributions, tax-free growth of the assets in your account, and tax-free distributions when used for medical expenses. With significant medical expenses almost guaranteed later in life, an HSA combines the best of both traditional and Roth retirement accounts. For more on HSAs read “Six Myths About Health Savings Accounts ” Take Advantage of Tax-Free Capital Gains If your taxable income is below $40,000 (80,000 if you file a joint return) then your long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%. If your taxable income is below these thresholds and you own stocks or other investments that have appreciated in value you can take advantage of this 0% tax rate by selling your investments with long-term capital gains and not pay any federal income taxes. If the sale of your investment pushes your taxable income above the thresholds for the 0% bracket you will pay 15% on the amounts above the threshold but will not pay taxes on the amount up to the threshold. While capital gains below these income thresholds are tax-free, the proceeds from the sales will still increase your taxable income for the calculation of certain tax credits such as the premium tax credit for health insurance. If you are currently receiving the premium tax credit, selling your investments could reduce the amount of the credit that you qualify for. Set Up a Donor Advised Fund The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the standard deduction while also limiting or removing various itemized deductions. As a result of these changes a much greater percentage of taxpayers will be taking the standard deduction between now and 2025 when the tax cuts expire. This also means that meaningful charitable donations may have little impact on your tax return. This is because a much larger portion of your charitable deduction is being used to reach the standard deduction threshold before you can realize any tax savings. One way you can work around this new limitation is to set up a donor advised fund. With a donor advised fund you can make a large contribution to the fund in one year and then make donations out of the fund to your charities of choice over the course of several years. With a donor advised fund you get a tax deduction in the year you contribute to the fund, regardless of when the fund distributes money to a charity. For example, if you typically give $5,000 each year to your church, you can choose to contribute $15,000 now to a donor advised fund and distribute $5,000 out of the fund each year for the next 3 years. Then refill the fund at the end of the 3rd year. By bunching your contributions into every 3rd year, you can prevent the bulk of your charitable donations from being absorbed by the standard deduction threshold. Consider a Roth Conversion Contributing to a traditional IRA or 401(k) provides tax savings today by pushing the tax liability into your retirement years. This strategy can make sense when you are likely to be in a lower tax bracket in retirement. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has created one of the lowest tax environments our country has seen in decades. With that in mind there is no guarantee that you will be in a lower tax bracket at retirement. And with our national debt skyrocketing, you could find yourself in a higher tax bracket when you retire, even if your income is lower than it is today. With higher tax rates likely in the future, you may want to consider converting some of your 401(k) or traditional IRA funds into a Roth IRA, paying taxes now in today's low tax environment in order to realize tax-free distributions later in retirement. With the results of the 2020 election, time could be running out to take advantage of the low tax rates. For more information on why a Roth conversion may be a limited time opportunity watch our 3-minute video Tax Efficient Retirement Planning. Converting your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA is an option for everyone, even if you are above the income threshold to make a normal contribution to a Roth IRA. You will also not be subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty you would face when taking early distributions from a traditional IRA. For more information on why a Roth IRA could be the right choice watch our 4-minute video The Big Picture . Return Your Required Minimum Distributions If you are over the age of 70 ½ then you are required to withdraw a certain amount from your traditional IRA each year through Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). These RMDs can create an unwelcome tax liability. Fortunately, as part of the CARES Act, all RMDs for 2020 have been waived. This means that if you have not yet taken your RMDs for 2020 you can choose not to take any for the year. If you already took your RMDs for the year then you have a few potential options to undo them. Option 1: Indirect Rollover When you take funds out of your IRA you have 60 days to either return the funds to the original IRA or invest them in another IRA through what is referred to as an indirect rollover. If you return the funds or reinvest them in another IRA within the 60 days you can avoid any taxes or penalties that would have otherwise been due on the distribution. You can only complete one indirect IRA rollover per year. Option 2: Coronavirus-Related Distribution If you took your RMDs earlier in the year and can no longer qualify for a 60-day rollover, you may still be able to undo your RMDs by qualifying them as a coronavirus-related distribution (CVD). With CVDs you can take up to $100,000 from your traditional IRA at any point in 2020 and you have 3 years from the date of the distribution to recontribute the funds and avoid paying income taxes. If you don’t recontribute the funds you can also choose to spread the tax liability over the next 3 years instead of paying it all on your 2020 return. To qualify a distribution as a CVD you must meet at least one of the following criteria: You are diagnosed with COVID-19 using a test approved by the CDC Your spouse or dependent is diagnosed with COVID-19 using a CDC-approved test You are experiencing adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, being furloughed or laid off or having work hours reduced due to such virus or disease, being unable to work due to lack of child care due to such virus or disease, closing or reducing hours of a business owned or operated by you due to such virus or disease, or other factors as determined by the secretary of the Treasury. As you can see, even if you do not meet either of the first two criteria, just about anyone in the United States should be able to qualify under the third criteria given that almost every state issued a shelter-in-place order earlier this year. By reclassifying your RMD as a CVD you can either avoid the taxes altogether by recontributing your distribution within the next 3 years, though we would recommend recontributing before the end of the year to keep everything simple, or spread the tax burden of the distribution over a 3-year period. Summary Now is a great time to review your financial situation and determine if there are any year-end adjustments you should make, as there should be very few income surprises between now and year-end. Taking the time to review your situation and applying some of the strategies we just shared could help you significantly reduce your short and long-term tax liabilities. Read more articles Failing to order your affairs to minimize your tax burden could cost you significant money - so don't wait to take action. If you have additional questions or need some planning help, please reach out to us.

Details Five Planning Steps To Improve Your Retirement Years Join us as we share five simple steps you can take to reduce your tax bill and improve your retirement years: Address these critical items in your IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement accounts Three ways to maximize your 2020 deductions and reduce your tax bill One easy step to reduce taxable income in 2020 How to take advantage of today's historically low tax rates How to proactively address the potential reduction in social security benefits in 2033 When January 25, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Where Prairie Lodge Cedar Room 12880 Del Webb Blvd Huntley, IL 60142 Details

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SIX MYTHS About Health Savings Accounts If you qualify for one, a Health Savings Account is an incredibly compelling way to pay for your future medical costs. Not only does it allow you to bypass the 7.5% threshold for deducting your medical expenses, it also provides for tax-free growth when you use the proceeds for medical expenses. With significant medical expenses in retirement all but guaranteed, a Health Savings Account is a great tool to save for retirement. As compelling as HSAs are, there are a number of misconceptions about how they work and how you can use the funds held in them. Our goal today is to dispel some of the common myths that surround Health Savings Accounts. 1. You need to use HSA money before the end of the year HSAs are frequently mixed up with flexible spending accounts, which require you to use the funds in the account before the end of the year or lose them. With an HSA the money in the account is yours to keep until you need it. 2. You can’t use your HSA after enrolling in Medicare While you cannot continue to contribute money to your HSA after enrolling in Medicare, you can continue to use the funds that are already in the account to pay for your medical expenses. In fact, once you turn 65 you can also use your HSA funds to pay your Part B and Part D Medicare premiums. If your Medicare premiums are paid directly out of your Social Security benefits you can withdraw the same amount from your HSA to reimburse yourself. 3. You can only open an HSA if your employer offers them. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you can open an HSA and start contributing on your own. Many banks and other financial institutions offer Health Savings Accounts. However, if your employer does offer an HSA you are likely better off setting one up through them since many employers make direct contributions to employee’s HSA and will likely also cover the administrative fees of the account. 4. You need to withdraw funds in the same year you pay your medical expenses. Many HSA providers will give you a debit card that you can use to pay your medical expenses directly out of your HSA. However, you can also pay your medical bills out of pocket and then withdraw funds from the account to reimburse yourself. There is no time-frame in which the reimbursement needs to be made. As long as a medical expense is incurred after you set up your HSA, you can wait five, ten or even fifty years to reimburse yourself out of the account. However, the longer you wait the more difficult it may be to prove that the expenses were not already reimbursed in a previous year if the IRS chooses to question the reimbursement so it is best not to wait too long to reimburse yourself. 5. You can only use HSA funds for family members covered under your insurance plan The amount of money that you can contribute to your HSA is dependent on whether your health plan covers your family or just yourself. You can contribute up to $3,500 annually if you have a single plan or $7,000 if you have a family plan. However, even if your health plan only covers yourself and your other family members are on a separate plan, you can still use your HSA funds to cover any medical expenses for your spouse or dependents. 6. You don’t need one if you are healthy. Even if you don’t expect to have significant medical expenses anytime in the near future, you are very likely to have large medical expenses later in life. When viewed as a retirement planning tool rather than an emergency medical fund, the HSA beats both traditional and Roth retirement accounts by allowing for pre-tax contributions and tax-free distributions when used for qualified medical expenses. Summary The Health Savings Account is a powerful tool to prepare for any unexpected medical costs while also saving for retirement. If your healthcare plan qualifies as a High Deductible plan you should strongly consider the benefits offered by an HSA and if you are choosing a new healthcare plan you should look at plans that will qualify for a Health Savings Account. Failing to order your affairs to minimize your tax burden could cost you significant money - so don't wait to take action. If you have additional questions or need some planning help, please reach out to us.