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The Dumbest Thing I've Done With Money (Lately)
Published 2 days ago • 3 min read
Here's your weekly helping of interesting investing information and insights.
It's embarrassing to admit this, but if it helps one person, it'll be worth it.
On 1/1/2025, my employer started offering a Health Savings Account, and we enrolled. If you're not familiar, an HSA is like a retirement account on steroids because it's triple-tax advantaged: you contribute pre-tax dollars, invest them and let them compound, then spend them tax-free on qualified medical expenses.
But here's the REALLY cool part. You can pay for today's medical expenses in cash, "shoebox" the receipts, and reimburse yourself decades later. Pay $1,000 cash for a medical bill in 2026, and you can pull $1,000 from your HSA in 2051. Meanwhile, that $1,000 growing at a conservative 5% becomes almost $3,400 — an extra $2,000+ for future medical costs.
And that original $1,000? Bet it on Super Bowl 85. Just save those receipts in case the IRS ever asks for proof. (One catch: the expense has to happen after you open the HSA.)
So now that you're an HSA expert, what did I do wrong?
I left my contributions sitting in cash, earning absolutely NOTHING, for a year and a half.
Doh!
In my defense (kinda), I asked my employer in mid-2025 what the funds were invested in. The answer: "some kind of savings vehicle, maybe contact the plan administrator." I meant to. I never did. My $149 a week kept dumping into cash, and I'd watch the balance grow without looking closer.
Until last week. While prepping the portfolio reveal video, I finally dug into how much interest my HSA was earning. Answer: exactly 0.0%. Ugh. And every time I'd logged in, I had somehow missed the bright blue tab labeled "Transfer To Investment."
I moved everything but $500 (our provider requires a minimum cash balance) into the iShares S&P 500 Index Fund Class K (WFSPX) — about $12,500. Like a 401(k), the investment menu was VERY limited, but since I hope to never touch this money for decades, I'm happy parking it in the 500 largest U.S. companies.
The lesson: whether it's an IRA, a Roth, or an HSA, make certain your money is INVESTED and not sitting in cash — unless you specifically chose that. Inflation quietly eats idle dollars.
Has this ever happened to you? If not, consider doing a financial wellness check on a loved one. They might be sitting in cash and not even know it.
VICI Properties CEO Ed Pitoniak was on Wide Moat Research with Brad Thomas talking about the present and future of VICI. If you're a VICI investor or thinking about it, this is a a great listen.
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Each week you'll learn how to be a better dividend investor and follow the journey of a welder with a passion for passive income to $1,000,000 and beyond.
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