Why aren’t more veterans using the benefits they’ve earned? Part of the problem is awareness, and part of it is discomfort (for both veterans and advisors). After all, veteran benefits are rooted in service-connected health and trauma, placing them in a category that often feels more personal than financial. That alone can deter veterans from discussing their disability compensation and keep advisors from broaching the subject altogether. The result is financial plans that look optimized on paper but are built on incomplete assumptions and missed opportunities – opportunities that have been more than earned.

The Health Savings Account (HSA) is a first line of defense tax strategy. Contributions are deductible and earnings are tax-free if used for qualified medical expenses. There are numerous features to the HSA that secure maximum tax benefits. Structured properly, an HSA can provide serious tax-free money to beneficiaries as well as the account holder. Before we review the implications of inheriting an HSA, let’s review some of the powerful features an HSA has that increases the value of the account.