HSA spending spikes early in the year, while FSA spending peaks in December

As healthcare costs have increased post-COVID, critics have been skeptical about the real impact HSAs/FSAs have had in alleviating medical expenses

Health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts are designed to be tax-advantaged ways for people to save money on healthcare and medical expenses. But one recent study found that HSAs can increase families' total out-of-pocket spending on healthcare by more than $500 per year.

Health savings accounts are designed to alleviate upfront costs for high-deductible health plans

High-deductible insurance plans often have low monthly premiums, but require policyholders to meet a set spending threshold on medical expenses each year before the insurance kicks in. Health savings accounts give high-deductible plan holders a tax-free savings account to balance the high upfront costs that come with an HDHP.

Employers get to keep any FSA funds not used by the annual deadline

Flexible spending arrangements have use it or lose it deadlines defined in the plan. Employers that offer FSAs get to keep any unused funds, but that money has to go towards administering the FSA program. Remaining FSA funds can also be pooled and divided evenly amongst a company's FSA participants, but very few companies actually do this.

Flexible spending accounts are operated by employers

Unlike health savings accounts, which can be opened at banks and credit unions, FSAs are employer-owned and operated—meaning you can only access an FSA through an employer benefit, and the account doesn't follow you if you move jobs. To use an FSA to pay for a medical service or product, purchases typically have to be uploaded, approved, and then employees can be reimbursed.

Explore a list of surprisingly FSA-eligible wellness products

Flexible spending accounts can be used to cover medical expenses, but those funds can also be used to purchase wellness items or services, like bandages or contact solution. The general guidance for what's FSA eligible is any expense that is designed to diagnose, cure, mitigate, or treat a medical condition. HSA funds can often be used to cover the same expenses. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

HSAs are frequently criticized for exacerbating inequality in healthcare access

Health savings accounts offer large tax advantages, but require personal contributions. Some argue that the tax advantages benefit wealthy individuals more than anyone else and that HSAs don't do much to help people who can't afford to regularly contribute to one. As a result, HSAs only decrease costs for those who can comfortably invest in them, and health inequalities between high-income and low-income individuals are exacerbated.

Health savings accounts evolved out of medical savings accounts introduced in the 1990s

After medical savings accounts in Singapore and South Africa proved successful, the US introduced a pilot program for small business owners and the self-employed to pair with high-deductible health plans in 1996. In 2003, Congress passed a law inspired by that program, and health savings accounts became tax-free and open to anyone with a high-deductible plan. FSAs, on the other hand, date back to the 1970s.

HSAs are triple-tax advantaged—offering tax-free contributions, investments, and withdrawals

One of the reasons HSAs are so popular is the plan's triple-tax advantage. All contributions to an HSA happen pretax, funds in the HSA can be invested in stocks, bonds, or exchange-traded funds, and withdrawals to cover medical expenses are tax-free.

Trump's 2025 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' expanded access to health savings accounts

After the "One Big Beautiful Bill" took effect, Medicare users with bronze or catastrophic level health plans, as well as certain medical care membership models and telehealth users, became eligible for HSAs. Supporters of HSAs say expanding access to this savings program is more effective in alleviating high consumer costs than subsidizing healthcare plans or direct treatments.

What is a dependent care FSA?

Dependent care flexible spending accounts allow people who care for someone incapable of self-care to save pretax dollars to support the dependent person. However, there are stipulations. For instance, anyone seeking a dependent care FSA must be able to claim the individual as a dependent on their income taxes. Read more about dependent care FSAs here.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) accounted for 22.4% of all federal spending in 2024

The SSA is an independent executive branch agency that is primarily responsible for administering Social Security benefits. In fiscal year 2024, The SSA, ranking second among federal agencies in terms of total spending, behind only the Department of Health and Human Services.

The federal budget process begins nearly a year before funds are spent

Creating the federal budget starts months in advance. This resource explains each stage, showing how the president proposes priorities, Congress reshapes and approves funding, and federal agencies implement the final budget.

Experts say those receiving year-end bonuses may want to pay down high-interest debt

Experts say other sound options for spending bonuses include topping off an emergency fund or putting more money away for retirement.

See Virginia's spike in HFMD cases in 2025

The state's own tracking showed a significant jump in HFMD cases in July 2025 as compared to the prior few years, and that more people were visiting the emergency room and urgent care centers for the disease, but epidemiologists could not explain why the numbers were so high.

Here's how much money Americans spend on Halloween

In 2024, Americans are expected to spend more than $11B on Halloween, which averages out to roughly $104 per person, according to the National Retail Federation's Halloween Spending Survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. That $11B number includes an anticipated almost $4B spent on costumes. See the full breakdown here.

American Express created 'Small Business Saturday' in 2010

As small businesses across the US were still reeling from the Great Recession, American Express came up with the idea of "Small Business Saturday" to help drive consumer spending to small businesses. Small Business Saturday is the day after Black Friday. In 2011, the Senate passed a resolution supporting Small Business Saturday, and, since then, it's become nationally recognized.

10 percent of SAD cases occur in the summer

Despite its significantly lower incidence, summer-risk SAD is as significant as its winter counterpart. Rather than being prompted by less light, the summer version is typically spurred by high temperatures, strong light, distinct summer time social pressures (appearing in a bathing suit, for example), and pollen. Common treatments include keeping cool and prioritizing sleep.

Advent calendars have become a major seasonal driver for brands

Companies now treat Advent calendars as key holiday products, expanding production as demand surges across categories. Retail data shows beauty and self-care calendars consistently rank among the most popular, as some brands report selling out yearly, and retailers order months in advance.

One New Yorker saved $1,600 during her 'no-buy January'

A social trend in recent years encourages participants to buy essentials only for the month (an abbreviation of the even more radical no-buy year). Hannah Marder gave the fast a go, fastidiously dividing her purchases into wants and needs and managing to save roughly $1,600 over the month.

Nearly 70% of Muslim Americans always donate to charity during Ramadan

Zakat, one of the core pillars of Islam, directs Muslims to redistribute their wealth and give to the poor. This pillar is commonly honored during Ramadan and likely motivated by the practice of fasting, which encourages gratitude and compassion for those who are less fortunate. Other spikes in charitable giving are seen during the holiday of Eid al-Adha and at the end of the financial year.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

US concierge and direct primary care practices surged 83.1% between 2018 and 2023

Research published in December 2025 in the journal Health Affairs indicates that these retainer-fee care models are expanding across the country. Concierge medicine charges monthly or annual fees, as does direct primary care (which doesn't take insurance).

The hidden effects of March Madness

March Madness isn’t just a major sporting event—it’s also peak season for vasectomies. Urologists report a 50% increase during the tournament, as patients use recovery time as an excuse to watch nonstop basketball. Meanwhile, workplace distractions from bracket pools and game streaming are estimated to cost US businesses $17 billion.

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

Who actually pays for your credit card rewards?

In 2018, 92% of all credit card spending was made on a rewards card, which seems like a good deal to many who apply for rewards cards offering discounted flights, points, and more. But in actuality, the customers are often the ones who end up paying for the rewards in the grand scheme of things.

Why Friday surgeries are (likely) riskier

Scheduling surgery on a Friday may lead to more complications—up to 5% more often—compared to surgeries performed after the weekend. The research was conducted by a team from the United States and Canada and analyzed data from over 450,000 patients who underwent common surgeries in Ontario between 2007 and 2019. Check out their findings here.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF is one of the most highly traded funds on the market

State Street, a popular ETF issuer, is responsible for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF. This fund trades under the SPY ticker, and State Street maintains a web page with key facts and figures on SPY. For instance, its expense ratio is 0.0945%, or $9.45 on an initial $10K investment.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by over 1.5 million Muslims.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

About 12.5% of US adults experience a phobia in their lifetime, a diagnosis that hinges on the intense fear interfering with daily life and persisting for at least six months.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures.

When caught in the mouths of cardinal fish, seed shrimp release glowing, bioluminescent chemicals, which alert predators of the cardinal fish, prompting the shrimp's ejection.

While the sun's gravity keeps the planets in orbit, their gravity also pulls on the sun, causing it and everything else in the solar system to orbit around a mutual balance point called the barycenter—the true center of the solar system.

While El Niño moves warm Pacific Ocean waters east along the equator, La Niña moves them west, shifting where rainfall will become more common for months.

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.