In this episode, Kelley Long shares valuable insights about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and the lessons she learned about health insurance that changed everything about her choices and, really, her whole life. Reflecting on her early experiences, she highlights common misconceptions around high-deductible healthcare plans and the potential benefits that many people overlook, particularly those in good health. This is super important to better understand because getting this right could make early retirement or at least a mini-retirement or career sabbatical possible.

Kelley introduces eight key facts about HSAs that most people don't know, including their portability, rollover options, and tax advantages. She also discusses how HSAs can be a strategic tool for managing future healthcare costs, de-coupling health insurance coverage from a job and maximizing savings for retirement.

Tune in to discover how to make the most of your HSA and why it might be worth re-evaluating your health insurance options during open enrollment!

Followup resources to support this episode:

The ins and outs of IRA-to-HSA rollovers

3 Common HSA Mistakes to Avoid

Schedule a coaching session with Kelley

This episode is all about that sticky area of money where we try to separate out our wants versus needs when making decisions around how we want to spend our dollars.

The themes include:

Understanding Wants vs. Needs: Distinguishing between wants and needs can be complex, especially when personal values and societal judgments come into play. It’s essential to recognize that our choices around spending—like gym memberships or shopping for groceries—often straddle this line, and reflecting on these choices can help clarify what truly matters to us.

Owning Your Financial Choices: It’s essential to own your spending decisions without guilt or judgment. Whether you're choosing to join a high-end health club for the social aspect or choosing food delivery services for convenience, understanding the underlying motivations can empower you to make choices that align with your values. And when you're not comfortable with the choice, that's an area to dig into.

Evaluating the Trade-offs: Spending money is often a trade-off between time and energy. By assessing whether your expenses are intentional and truly beneficial to your life, you can better balance your finances and maintain alignment with your values, allowing for a more fulfilling financial life.

Resources to support this episode:

• To find a financial therapist, visit the Financial Therapy Association directory
• To schedule a financial coaching session with Kelley Long, visit www.financialblisscoach.com/services

You may have heard about a back door Roth IRA, especially if you make too much money to contribute directly into one right now. While a back door Roth and a regular Roth IRA utilize the same account, performing the contribution to get around the income limits has very specific steps that you need to get right in order to avoid unnecessary taxation and issues with the IRS.

This podcast episode goes over what a makes a back door Roth different than a regular IRA contribution, along with the exact steps you need to take to successfully perform the strategy. You'll also understand what account aggregation is and how those rules could cause unanticipated tax consequences, along with potential solutions to avoid taxes when doing a back door Roth contribution.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Episode 8 The 1 Account With 4 Surprisingly Flexible Savings Options

Form 8606 - include this with your tax return for the year you make your non-deductible traditional IRA contribution

Form 5498 - what you'll need to save to prove that your contribution was made originally to your traditional IRA; it will be supplied by your IRA provider

Form 1040 - you'll show the nuts and bolts of your conversion to your Roth IRA on the line for IRA distributions

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only; every individual's situation varies and could impact the outcome so this should not be exclusively relied upon for tax, legal or investing advice.

Please confirm the use of this information with your own paid professionals as Kelley C Long and Kelley C Long Consulting LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability that may arise from listeners' use of this information for their own tax and financial planning.