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    As the cost of living skyrockets, nearly 1 in 3 adults rely on their parents for financial support

    As the economy falters, nearly a third of millennials are turning to their parents for financial support, according to a recent report.
    For parents, however, supporting grown children can be a burden when their own financial security is at stake.

    As the cost of living skyrockets, many adults are turning to a familiar safety net: mom and dad.
    Nearly a third of millennials and Gen Zers, over the age of 18, get financial support from their parents, according to a new survey by personal finance site Credit Karma. The site polled more than 1,000 adults in October.

    More than half of parents with adult children said their kids are living with them. Another 48% said they pay for their kids’ cell phone plan, car payments or other monthly bills. Nearly a quarter also said they provide their adult children with a regular allowance, pay some or all of their rent or have them as an authorized user on their credit card, the report found. 
    “What used to be paying your kid’s cell phone bill every few months has now turned into a much more extensive set of expenses for many parents,” said Courtney Alev, Credit Karma’s consumer financial advocate.
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    Multigenerational households can be a way to save

    During the pandemic, the number of adults moving back in with their parents — often referred to as “boomerang kids” — temporarily spiked to a historic high.
    Most said they initially moved in with their parents out of necessity or to save money. Hefty student loan bills from college and soaring housing costs have put a financial stranglehold on those just starting out. The surging cost of living and sky-high rents are making it harder to move on.

    The number of households with two or more adult generations has quadrupled over the past five decades, according to a separate report by the Pew Research Center based on census data from 1971 to 2021. Such households now represent 18% of the U.S. population, it estimates.
    Finances are the No. 1 reason families are doubling up, Pew found, due in part to ballooning student debt and housing costs.

    Arrows pointing outwards

    Now, 25% of young adults live in a multigenerational household, up from just 9% five decades ago.  
    In most cases, 25- to 34-year-olds are living in the home of one or both of their parents. A smaller share live in their own home and have a parent or other older relative staying with them.
    Not surprisingly, older parents are also more likely to pay for most of the expenses when two or more generations share a home. The typical 25- to 34-year-old in a multigenerational household contributes 22% of the total household income, Pew found. 

    How to achieve financial freedom

    For parents, however, supporting grown children can be a substantial drain at a time when their own financial security is at risk.
    In an economy that has produced the highest inflation rate since the early 1980s, the cost of providing support has risen sharply. According to Credit Karma, 69% of the parents who help their adult children said it causes them financial stress.
    “It’s essential that parents do what they can to first take care of themselves financially, before offering financial support to their adult children,” Alev said.
    “Like with anything, make a budget for your income and expenses, factoring in savings, debt repayment and, if possible, contributions to a retirement fund,” she advised.
    “Once you’ve done that work, see how much you have left over to feasibly help your adult kids and set that expectation with them. You might even consider setting an expiration date to give your adult children a timeline for when they need to be back on their feet.” 
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    ‘Young adults are particularly vulnerable to delinquencies’ — 1 in 5 have debt in collections, new report finds

    With little to no safety net, lower wages and shorter credit histories, young adults are struggling to manage high-interest debt, according to a new report.  
    18- to 24-year-olds in minority communities face even greater financial distress.
    These moves can improve your financial standing.

    Americans across the board are struggling with credit card debt. Those just starting out are particularly vulnerable.
    With limited financial resources, lower wages and shorter credit histories, young adults are struggling to manage high-interest debt more than other age group, according to a new report by Urban Institute. Nearly one in five adults between the ages 18 and 24 with a credit record in the U.S. currently have debt in collections.

    “Young adults are particularly vulnerable,” the authors of the report wrote. “The high cost of borrowing coupled with limited income makes it difficult to manage debt in this stage of life.”
    Overall, credit card balances are surging, up 15% in the most recent quarter, the largest annual jump in more than 20 years. At the same time, credit card rates are now over 19%, on average — an all-time high — and still rising.
    But for new applicants for credit, APRs are typically even higher, as much as 30%, according to Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate and CreditCards.com.
    “When you have poorer credit, you have to pay more to borrow, which can make taking on debt even harder to pay back,” said Kassandra Martinchek, a research associate at Urban Institute and co-author of the report.
    “Because young adults have this unique vulnerability, it’s easier for a financial shock to happen and throw you off your path,” Martinchek added.  

    Minorities face greater financial distress

    Those living in communities of color are even more likely to struggle with credit and hold past-due debt.
    Young adults in majority-Black and majority-Hispanic communities have nearly twice the rate of credit card delinquencies as young adults in majority-white communities, Urban Institute found.
    These young adults also have lower average credit scores than their white counterparts, according to a separate Urban Institute analysis based on Vantage scores. And they are more likely to see their credit scores deteriorate over time.
    “Disparities by race and ethnicities emerge from this legacy of constrained access to wealth building pathways,” Martinchek said.

    Easy credit options can be a ‘trap’

    The Credit CARD Act, which passed in 2009, restricted card companies from issuing credit to new, young customers unless they can demonstrate the ability to make payments or have a co-signer.
    And yet, “young people, and college students in particular, still receive unsolicited preapproved credit card offers,” the report found.
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    Further, younger consumers are increasingly turning to buy now, pay later payments. “An attractive alternative to credit cards, BNPL products offer quick credit approvals and little to no interest,” the report said.
    However, the more buy now, pay later accounts open at once, the more prone consumers become to overspending, missed or late payments and poor credit history, other research shows.
    “It’s a slippery slope,” Rossman said. “Sometimes it can work, but sometimes it ends up being a little bit of a trap and a ticket to overspending.”
    “That can be an early sign of financial distress,” Martinchek also said.
    Without much regulatory oversight, the BNPL market currently exists in “a legal gray space,” according to Marshall Lux, a fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.

    How to build good credit

    Credit cards are still considered the best way to begin a credit history, which is important to young adults just starting out.
    Good credit paves the way to low interest rates on mortgages and auto loans and can even make it easier to get an apartment rental.
    The best way to improve your credit comes down to paying your bills on time or reducing your credit card balance, Rossman said. 
    Rossman advises borrowers to keep revolving debt below 30% of their available credit to limit the effect that high balances can have. Asking for a higher credit limit or making an extra payment in the middle of the billing cycle can help.
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    Hagerty, Manchin propose $10,000 threshold for Venmo, PayPal tax reporting change — up from $600

    Americans have been bracing for a new reporting change for third-party payment networks like Venmo or PayPal.
    Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., will propose to raise the tax reporting threshold to $10,000 from $600 for 2022.

    U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), listens to testimony during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Hearing to examine the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets report on Stablecoins in Washington, February 15, 2022.
    Bill O’Leary | Pool | Reuters

    Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., will file an amendment to the $1.7 trillion spending package, to increase the threshold for Form 1099-K, according to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., the proposal’s lead co-sponsor. The tax reporting threshold applies to transfers using third-party payment networks including Venmo and PayPal.
    Manchin told CNBC the amendment would increase the payment threshold to $10,000 from $600 for the 2022 tax season.

    Before 2022, taxpayers received 1099-Ks with more than 200 transactions worth an aggregate above $20,000. But the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 dropped the threshold to just $600. Currently, even a single transaction over $600 may trigger the form.
    “This is the best relief we can get for people,” Manchin said, referencing the $10,000 threshold as “the best way to approach it.”
    He believes that raising the threshold to $10,000 has broader support than delaying implementation of the new rule.
    This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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    Supreme Court likely to ‘dismantle’ student loan forgiveness plan after it hears case, says Harvard law professor

    U.S. Supreme Court justices have scheduled the high-profile arguments over President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan for Feb. 28.
    The justices will consider the lawsuits brought by six GOP-led states and a conservative advocacy organization.

    Activists hold a student loan forgiveness rally near the White House on April 27, 2022.
    Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images

    The nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have scheduled high-profile arguments over President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan for Feb. 28, meaning borrowers suspended in uncertainty about the fate of their debts will at least know more soon.
    Since Biden unveiled his plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of Americans, Republicans and conservative groups have filed at least six lawsuits to try to halt the policy, arguing that it’s an overreach of executive authority and unfair in a number of ways.

    Two of those legal challenges have been successful in at least temporarily stopping the president’s plan from going forward. The Biden administration has appealed those decisions, and the country’s highest court has announced it will have the final say on the policy, which will remain on hold until then.
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    The justices will consider the lawsuits brought by six GOP-led states, which argue that forgiveness will disrupt state entities that profit from federal student loans, as well as a lawsuit backed by the Job Creators Network Foundation, a conservative advocacy organization, featuring two borrowers in Texas who are partially or fully left out of the president’s relief.
    The fact that the justices have agreed so quickly to take both cases suggests that they’re eager to deliver a decisive ruling on the policy involving more than 30 million Americans, said Laurence Tribe, a Harvard law professor.
    Like other legal experts, Tribe doesn’t have much hope that the plan will survive the Supreme Court.

    “It’s basically put the program in deep freeze until it proceeds to most likely dismantle it,” Tribe said.

    Higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz agreed that an eagerness to make a ruling doesn’t bode well for proponents of the president’s plan, “because ruling against forgiveness is less complicated.”
    Dan Urman, a law professor at Northeastern University, also predicted the Supreme Court will rule against Biden. He said the conservative justices believe government agencies exert too much authority and “violate the separation of powers.”
    Yet Tribe said the plaintiffs are dressing up their frustration with seeing students get relief in legal arguments about the separation of power.
    “They think of this as elite, selfish kids getting at the head of the line when others have had to repay their loans,” Tribe said, adding that Republicans have not challenged when other groups get relief.

    A report last month found that one of the plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit was the beneficiary of more than $45,000 in debt cancellation under the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided loans to small businesses hurting from the Covid pandemic.
    The Biden administration insists that it’s acting within the law with its student loan forgiveness plan, pointing out that the Heroes Act of 2003 grants the education secretary the authority to waive regulations related to student loans during national emergencies.
    The U.S. has been operating under an emergency declaration since March 2020.
    By Jan. 4, the Biden administration will have to submit to the court its opening brief in the cases. Responses from the plaintiffs are due around a month later.

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    ‘Secure 2.0’ is part of the $1.7 trillion spending bill, putting it on track to usher in retirement system improvements

    “Secure 2.0” is a collection of provisions intended to build upon the retirement-system improvements that were implemented under the Secure Act of 2019.
    Some of the provisions include requiring automatic enrollment in some workplace plans, increasing “catch-up” contributions that older workers can make and boosting part-time workers’ access to retirement plans.
    There also are provisions related to increasing employees’ ability to create emergency savings and access emergency funds.

    Bill Koplitz | Moment | Getty Images

    Another round of changes to the U.S. retirement system appears to be on its way.
    A collection of retirement-related provisions known as “Secure 2.0” is included in a 4,100-page, $1.7 trillion spending bill — which would fund the government for the 2023 fiscal year — that was unveiled Monday night. Approval by both the Senate and House are expected by the end of this week.

    “It’s headed for passage,” said Paul Richman, chief government and political affairs officer for the Insured Retirement Institute. “I don’t believe there will be further changes to [Secure 2.0].”
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    The Secure 2.0 provisions are intended to build on improvements to the retirement system that were implemented under the 2019 Secure Act. Those changes included giving part-time workers better access to retirement benefits and increasing the age when required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from certain retirement accounts must start — to age 72 from 70½.

    This time around, some of the many provisions that are in the massive appropriations bill include:

    Requiring automatic 401(k) enrollment: Employers would be required to automatically enroll employees in their 401(k) plan at a rate of least 3% but not more than 10%. Businesses with 10 or fewer workers and new companies in business for less than three years are among those that would be excluded from the mandate.

    Increasing the age when RMDs would need to start: The current bill would increase it from age 72 to age 73 in 2023 and then to age 75 in 2033. Additionally, the penalty for failing to take RMDs would be reduced to 25%, and in some cases, 10%, from the current 50%.

    Creating bigger “catch-up” contributions for older retirement savers: Under current law, you can put an extra $6,500 annually in your 401(k) once you reach age 50. Secure 2.0 would increase the limit to $10,000 (or 50% more than the regular catch-up amount) starting in 2025 for savers ages 60 to 63. Catch-up amounts also would be indexed for inflation. Additionally, all catch-up contributions will be subject to Roth treatment (i.e., not pretax) except for workers who earn $145,000 or less.

    Broadening employer 401(k) match options: A proposal would make it easier for employers to make contributions to 401(k) plans on behalf of employees paying student loans instead of saving for retirement.

    Improving worker access to emergency savings: One provision would let employees withdraw up to $1,000 from their retirement account for emergency expenses without having to pay the typical 10% tax penalty for early withdrawal if they are under age 59½. Companies also could let workers set up an emergency savings account through automatic payroll deductions, with a cap of $2,500.

    Increasing part-time workers’ access to retirement accounts: The original Secure Act made it so part-time workers who book between 500 and 999 hours for three consecutive years could be eligible for their company’s 401(k). Secure 2.0 reduces that to two years. Companies already have been required to grant eligibility to employees who work at least 1,000 hours in a year.

    Boosting how much can be put in a qualified longevity annuity contract: Currently, the maximum that can go into a QLAC is either $135,000 or 25% of the value of your retirement accounts, whichever is less. Secure 2.0 eliminates the 25% cap and increases the maximum amount allowed in a QLAC to $200,000.

    Changing the required minimum distribution rules for Roth 401(k)s: Currently, while Roth IRAs come with no RMDs during the original account owner’s life, that’s not the case for 401(k)s. Starting in 2024, the pre-death distribution requirement would be eliminated.

    Broadening uses for unused college savings money: A provision would allow for tax- and penalty-free rollovers to Roth IRAs from 529 college savings accounts, under certain conditions.

    The bill also includes incentives for small businesses to set up retirement savings plans for their workers, encourages individuals to set aside long-term savings and makes it easier for annuities to be an income option for retirees.

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    Average Social Security retirement benefit fell short by 46% in 2022. Here are the costs that went up the most

    High inflation outpaced a record Social Security cost-of-living adjustment this year.
    Here’s the prices that rose the fastest for households ages 65 and up.

    Sollina Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images

    Amid record high inflation, stretching Social Security benefit checks became more difficult in 2022.
    Even as a 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment went into effect in January, the record high annual benefit increase still fell short, according to new research from The Senior Citizens League.

    The average retiree benefit increased to $1,656.30 in 2022 from $1,564 in 2021 — a monthly boost of $92.30, according to the nonpartisan senior group. Yet in every month this year, a bigger increase was needed to keep up with soaring costs due to inflation, the research found.
    The average retiree benefit fell short by an average of $42.35 per month, or 46%, the research found. Over the course of the year, that added up to $508.20.

    Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W. The annual change is calculated based on the index’s average for the third quarter, which is compared to the third-quarter average for the previous year.
    The 5.9% annual increase for 2022 was the highest bump to benefits in 40 years when it was announced in October 2021.
    In January, beneficiaries can expect to see an even higher increase — 8.7% — that will top last year’s record.

    Yet as inflation outpaced the COLA for 2022, households ages 65 and up found it more difficult to pay for everyday items.

    ‘Even the simplest of foods are harder … to afford’

    The fastest-growing cost was home heating oil, which spiked 68% from October 2021 to October 2022, according to The Senior Citizens League.
    That was followed by airfares, which climbed 42.9% in that time frame; flour and prepared mixes, which rose 24.6%; health insurance, 20.6%; and natural gas, 20%.
    Other key categories that saw big price jumps included oil changes and coolant, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, turkey, and pet food.
    “Even the simplest of foods are harder for people to afford,” said Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at The Senior Citizens League.

    For low-income retirees who have spent down their retirement savings, absorbing those higher costs may be particularly difficult, she noted.
    Medicare Part B also saw higher increases in 2022, with the standard premiums going up by 14.5% to $170.10 per month. Those monthly premiums are typically deducted directly from Social Security checks.
    As 2023 approaches, Social Security beneficiaries will be poised to see more of the record 8.7% increase that goes into effect, as standard Medicare Part B premiums decline by 3% to $164.90.
    “The good news … is people are realizing 100% of the 8.7% lift,” David Freitag, a financial planning consultant and Social Security expert at MassMutual, recently told CNBC.
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    The average retiree benefit will go up by $146 per month, to $1,827 in 2023 from $1,681 in 2022, the Social Security Administration said in October. (This is higher than the average retirement benefit amount from January that The Senior Citizens League used in its calculations. The average retiree benefit tends to change throughout the year as new beneficiaries start receiving benefits, according to Johnson.)
    The agency is currently sending statements to beneficiaries that include the exact amounts of their increases for next year.
    “The COLA is going to boost their benefits really by a record amount,” Johnson said.
    “This is the biggest one that most retirees alive today have ever received,” she said.
    Just how far that extra money goes next year will depend on how inflation fares in the coming months.
    If higher prices subside, that may point to a lower cost-of-living adjustment for 2024, Johnson said. An exact measurement will be based on CPI-W data for the third quarter of next year.

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    The best bang for your buck: These 10-year-old used cars cost less than $16,000 and could go for another 100,000 miles

    A new report identified the used cars with the lowest prices and longest lifespans.
    Some, like the Chevrolet Impala and Kia Sedona, cost less than $10,000 and could last for another 100,000 miles.
    Here’s a look at the top 10 best used cars for the money.

    When it comes to car buying, there may be fewer deals out there, but there is still plenty of value to be had. 
    To that end, cost-conscious car shoppers are increasingly seeking out used vehicles in good condition.

    To be sure you get what you pay for, check for excess wear and tear beyond the stated number of miles, request a vehicle history report and bring the car to a repair shop for an inspection, advised Ivan Drury, director of insights at car-shopping comparison website Edmunds.
    A certified pre-owned vehicle, usually one coming off a lease, often includes warranty coverage, which greatly reduces the worry that can also come with buying a used car.
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    Buying a used car has typically been considered a smart way to save by avoiding the steep depreciation costs that go hand-in-hand with new cars.
    However, a limited supply of new cars and trucks due to the ongoing chip shortage caused demand for used cars to skyrocket, pushing prices much higher and reducing the value of buying pre-owned.

    Now, used cars are one of the few categories with prices that are finally lower than they were a year ago, according to the latest inflation reading.
    Still, they remain 33% higher than where they’d be if normal depreciation were occurring, according to Pat Ryan, founder and CEO of CoPilot, a car-shopping app.

    How to get the best used car for the money

    Automobiles are shown for sale at a car dealership in Carlsbad, California.
    Mike Blake | Reuters

    When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, a recent iSeeCars study analyzed more than 2 million cars to see which used models are priced the lowest and offer the longest remaining lifespan.
    The average price of the 10-year-old cars and trucks in the top 20 is just $12,814, with north of 100,000 miles remaining, the report found — or more than 46% left of their lifespan.
    “Don’t be afraid of the 100,000-mileage marker on your odometer,” Drury said. “100,000 is not the mileage threshold it used to be,” he added. “Vehicle durability has improved dramatically over the last decade.”
    In the No. 1 spot, a 10-year-old Chevrolet Impala costs about $9,700 with an average remaining lifespan of almost 120,000 miles.

    The Toyota Prius is the next best deal, with up to 130,000 miles of drivability left to go for less than $14,000 — in addition to substantially lower fuel costs.
    Other top contenders — such as the Kia Sedona, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Ridgeline and Ford Fusion — included a range of sedans, SUVs, minivans and a pickup truck.
    Among 5-year-old cars and trucks, the Honda Fit topped the list, costing $18,486, on average, with a remaining lifespan of over 150,000 miles — or almost 75% of its total life, followed by the Civic and Prius.
    Overall, five Toyotas made the top 10 list of best 5-year-old used cars for the money, also including the Camry, Corolla and Avalon.

    The report looked at 10-year-old models priced between $9,000 and $19,000, with an average remaining lifespan of more than 100,000 miles, as well as 5-year-old models priced between $18,000 and $26,000 with an average remaining lifespan of more than 150,000 miles.  
    Anyone in the market for one of these used cars should “be prepared to act fast,” Drury said. “Many of these vehicles will not make it more than a few weekends before selling.”
    A 10-year-old, $12,000 car will last just 27 days on the lot, on average, according to data from Edmunds.
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    Here are key things you need to know about health savings accounts as you near retirement

    The standard health savings account contribution limits for 2023 are $3,850 for self-only coverage and $7,750 for family coverage.
    If you’re age 55 or older, you are permitted a $1,000 “catchup” contribution in addition to the other limits.
    You need to be aware of how HSAs interact with Medicare, as well as how the rules for eligible expenses change when you reach age 65.

    Ariel Skelley | The Image Bank | Getty Images

    If you have a health savings account and are nearing retirement age, be aware that some of the rules are different for the older crowd.
    HSAs, which can only used in conjunction with so-called high-deductible health plans, offer a “triple tax” benefit: Contributions are made pre-tax, any earnings are tax-free and qualified withdrawals also are untaxed.

    While HSAs are similar to flexible spending accounts — which also let you set aside pre-tax money for health-care expenses — they come with particular rules that can be confusing, but are important for older Americans to know as they plan for retirement or partial retirement.
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    “It’s useful to know for planning purposes, but also to make the most of the tax advantages of HSAs,” said Stephen Durso, associate director of client services at WTW, an employee benefits consulting firm.
    The standard HSA contribution limits for next year are $3,850 for self-only coverage (up from $3,650 in 2022) and $7,750 for family coverage (up from $7,300 this year).
    The definition of an HSA eligible, high-deductible health plan for 2023 depends on whether you have single or family coverage. A solo plan would need to have a deductible of at least $1,500 and a maximum limit of $7,500 on out-of-pocket expenses. For family coverage, the deductible is at least $3,000, with a $15,000 maximum on what members pay out of pocket.

    Here are some key things to know about HSAs as you near retirement.

    1. You’re allowed a ‘catchup’ contribution at age 55

    You can put an extra $1,000 in your HSA once you reach age 55. If you and your spouse have separate HSAs but are subject to family coverage contribution limits, you each may be able to make that $1,000 “catchup” contribution once eligible based on age, according to the IRS.
    “As long as they’re both covered, they could each have their own HSA — and would need to have their own to contribute the $1,000 catchup amount,” Durso said.
    For both regular and catchup contributions, you get until the tax-filing deadline of the next year to make your HSA contributions. So for the 2022 tax year, the deadline would be April 18, 2023.

    2. Medicare and HSAs don’t mix

    You become eligible for Medicare at age 65. For people who are still working, it’s common to continue using their employer’s health plan alongside Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) and, perhaps, Part B (outpatient care).
    However, once you sign up for Medicare — even if only for Part A — you can no longer contribute to an HSA, even if you still are using your employer-based high-deductible plan. Medicare beneficiaries are permitted to use their HSA funds to pay for medical expenses, but cannot set up a new HSA or contribute to one.

    Additionally, there can be snags that come with HSAs if you are still contributing to one and you delay signing up for both Medicare (beyond age 65) and Social Security (beyond your full retirement age, as defined by the government).
    “The bottom line is if you get enrolled in Medicare, you are ineligible to contribute to an HSA,” Durso said. “A lot of older people don’t realize this.”

    3. Tax penalty for non-qualified expenses disappears

    The rule governing withdrawals changes when you reach age 65.
    Before then, withdrawals are tax-free and penalty-free as long as they are used for qualified health expenses. If not, the money is taxed as regular income and there’s a 20% tax penalty on top.
    Once you reach that age, though, you won’t be penalized for using HSA funds for things unrelated to health care.
    However, you will pay taxes on non-qualified health expenses.
    “You can use it on any expense in the world,” Durso said. “If you use it on qualified health care expenses, there’s no tax at all. But if you use it on a big-screen TV, you’d be subject to tax.”

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