Fidelity Investments stands out as the best HSA for investing due to its zero-fee structure and lack of minimum balance requirements to begin trading. For those prioritizing a user-friendly interface, Lively is a top alternative that offers robust investment options through an integration with Charles Schwab. These options are favored for allowing investors to start building their portfolios immediately.
Fidelity is the best overall choice for investors looking for no maintenance fees and no minimum balance requirements, providing direct access to stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds for long-term growth.
If your main goal is long-term HSA investing, Fidelity HSA is probably the strongest all-around choice based on current fees and investment flexibility.
Fidelity currently offers $0 account fees, no investment minimum, and $0 online commissions for U.S. stock/ETF trades. Its HSA also lets you invest in fractional shares and a broad range of investments.
Lively is a legitimate alternative, particularly if you want the Schwab brokerage experience, but its self-directed option costs $24/year below $3,000 invested. Its automated portfolio charges 0.50% annually.
My practical take
If you're using the HSA as a retirement/investment account—paying current medical expenses out of pocket and letting the HSA compound for decades—I'd focus on:
Fidelity HSA — simplest low-cost brokerage setup.
Lively + Schwab — good alternative if you prefer Schwab.
Your employer's HSA — potentially worth keeping for payroll contributions, but compare its investment fees and options.
One important wrinkle: if your employer requires you to use a particular HSA, you can often leave the employer HSA open for payroll contributions and periodically transfer money to Fidelity. Fidelity explicitly supports HSA transfers.
If you tell me (1) your current HSA provider, (2) roughly how much is in it, and (3) whether you plan to invest 100% of it, I can compare the options and show you the likely dollar impact of fees over 10–30 years.
When it comes to investing your Health Savings Account (HSA) for long-term growth, you want a provider that offers zero account fees, no investment thresholds (meaning you can invest every dollar instead of keeping a large cash buffer), and access to low-cost index funds or ETFs.[](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bogleheads/comments/1otpghz/hsa_investing/)
According to financial industry analysis and community consensus, the top contenders stand out for distinct reasons:
Lively is a top-rated runner-up . It pairs a clean, modern user interface with zero monthly maintenance fees for individuals, utilizing Charles Schwab for its investment clearinghouse, giving you robust, fee-free investing options once you opt into the investment tier.[](https://www.investopedia.com/the-best-health-savings-account-providers-11687235)
Full Brokerage Power: You get access to the same robust platform features as a standard brokerage account, allowing you to buy low-cost index funds or ETFs.
Alternative Choice: Lively
Partnered with Charles Schwab: Individual accounts feature a seamless integration with Charles Schwab for self-directed investing with no extra platform fees once thresholds are met.
Fidelity currently charges no HSA account fee and no minimum to invest, and gives you access to stocks, ETFs and mutual funds. It also has $0 commissions on U.S. stock and ETF trades.
Lively is particularly interesting if you want a Schwab-powered brokerage HSA. Its self-directed option has no Lively investment fee once you have $3,000 invested; otherwise it's $24/year.
My practical take
Want to pick your own low-cost index funds? → Fidelity
Want a Schwab brokerage experience? → Lively
Want the provider to manage the investments? → Fidelity Go HSA or Lively Guided
Already have an HSA through your employer? You can potentially keep the employer HSA for payroll contributions and periodically transfer money to a separate Fidelity HSA for investing.
One particularly attractive feature of Fidelity right now is that its default cash position is yielding around 3.4%, while you can invest without maintaining a minimum cash balance.
If you tell me (1) your HSA balance, (2) whether your employer requires you to use a particular HSA, and (3) whether you want index funds or individual stocks, I can compare the best setup for you—including what I'd consider holding inside the HSA.
If your employer doesn't force you to use a specific custodian through a payroll deduction, opening an individual HSA with Fidelity—or doing periodic rollovers from an inferior workplace HSA—is the gold standard.
Decent Cash Yield: Uninvested cash sits in a government money market-style core position rather than earning a measly 0.01% like legacy bank HSAs.[](https://www.fidelity.com/investing/hsa)
Other Notable Mentions (With Caveats)
Lively: Used to be a favorite alongside Fidelity, but with their shift to Charles Schwab for investments, many new account/fee structures have made it less seamless than Fidelity's all-in-one ecosystem.[](https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=390597)
HSA Bank / HealthEquity: Often tied to employer plans. They do allow investing, but they typically charge monthly maintenance fees unless you maintain a hefty cash balance, and they charge underlying investment custodian fees. (Good only if your employer subsidizes the fees).
Would you like help with:
How to execute a rollover/transfer from an existing employer HSA to Fidelity?
Strategies on how to treat your HSA as a stealth retirement account by paying medical out-of-pocket?
If your main goal is long-term investing inside an HSA, Fidelity HSA is probably the strongest all-around choice based on current fees, investment flexibility, and ease of use.
HSA
Investing
Fees
Investment minimum
Best for
Fidelity
Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, fractional shares
$0 account fee
$0
Long-term investors
Lively + Schwab
Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds
$24/yr below $3k invested; $0 at $3k+
$0 with $24 fee
People who want Schwab
HealthEquity
Self-directed + managed options
Plan-dependent
Often higher
Employer-provided HSA
Lively Guided
Managed portfolio
0.50%/yr
$0
Hands-off investing
Fidelity currently allows you to invest with no minimum, charges no HSA account fee, and offers $0 commissions on U.S. stock and ETF trades. Its default cash option is also currently yielding around 3.4%, although that rate can change.
Why I'd look at Fidelity first
An HSA can be particularly valuable as a long-term investment account because you can get the unusual combination of tax-deductible contributions, tax-free investment growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.
For example, if you don't expect to need most of your HSA for current medical expenses, you could:
Keep a reasonable medical-expense cash reserve.
Invest the remainder in a diversified, low-cost portfolio.
Pay current medical expenses from regular cash if financially comfortable.
Keep your receipts and potentially reimburse yourself from the HSA years later.
That can turn the HSA into a substantial supplemental retirement/healthcare asset.
One important wrinkle: if your employer gives you an HSA through another provider, you don't necessarily have to keep your accumulated HSA there. You can generally transfer/roll over HSA money to another provider, although employer payroll contributions may still need to go to the employer's designated HSA. Fidelity specifically supports HSA transfers.
If you tell me (1) your current HSA provider, (2) roughly how much is in it, and (3) whether you're planning to invest it for 10+ years, I can compare the actual costs and show you what I'd consider for the investment setup.
Key Considerations When Choosing an HSA for Investing
No Monthly Maintenance Fees: Some employer-linked accounts charge $2 to $4 a month unless your balance exceeds a specific threshold. Over time, these fees eat into your compounding returns.
Fidelity's HSA has no account fees, no minimum to start investing, and $0 commissions on U.S. stock and ETF trades. It also currently puts uninvested cash into a government money-market fund with a yield around 3.4% (rates change).
Lively is a legitimate alternative, particularly if you prefer the Schwab investment interface. Its self-directed option costs $24/year below $3,000 invested and has no Lively investment fee at $3,000+; its automated portfolio charges 0.50% annually.
What I'd do
If you're using the HSA as a retirement/investment account rather than spending it on current medical bills:
Keep enough cash for near-term medical expenses.
Invest the remainder.
Use a low-cost diversified index-fund portfolio.
Consider paying current medical expenses out of pocket and keeping receipts, allowing the HSA to compound tax-free for years. Qualified medical withdrawals are tax-free, while after age 65 non-medical withdrawals generally receive traditional-IRA-like tax treatment.
If you tell me your current HSA provider, approximate HSA balance, and whether your employer lets you choose the provider, I can compare the exact costs of moving to Fidelity vs. staying put.
Lively — A top runner-up for individual accounts. It partners with Optum Bank for its backend custody and offers an intuitive interface with fee-free HSA investing through TD Ameritrade/Charles Schwab, though they may charge a small administration fee for individuals if not tied to an employer plan. [](https://www.investopedia.com/the-best-health-savings-account-providers-11687235)
If your priority is maximizing long-term investment returns while minimizing fees, I’d pick a Fidelity HSA for most people.
Feature
Fidelity HSA
Lively HSA
Account fee
$0
$0
Investment minimum
$0
$0
Stocks/ETFs
Yes
Yes, via Schwab
Investment access
Fidelity brokerage
Schwab brokerage
Investment fee
$0 account fee
$0 with $3k cash balance, otherwise $24/yr
Automated investing
Available
Available, but 0.50%/yr
Best for
DIY long-term investing
People who specifically want Schwab
Fidelity currently offers no HSA account fees, no investment minimum, and access to stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and other investments. It also has a relatively attractive default cash yield compared with several major HSA providers.
Lively is a good alternative, particularly if you want your investments held at Schwab. But its self-directed Schwab option costs $24/year unless you maintain at least $3,000 in the HSA cash balance.
How I'd use the Fidelity HSA
If you can afford to pay medical expenses from regular checking/savings, an HSA can be an unusually powerful retirement investment account:
Contribute as much as you're eligible to contribute.
Keep a small cash buffer for near-term medical expenses.
Invest the rest in a diversified, low-cost index fund/ETF.
Keep receipts for qualified medical expenses.
Let the investments compound for decades.
The HSA's tax treatment is particularly attractive: contributions can be tax-advantaged, investment growth is tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. After 65, non-medical withdrawals generally become taxable rather than subject to the additional penalty.
One important caveat: if your employer provides an HSA, check whether you can contribute through payroll and whether the employer charges or subsidizes HSA fees. Payroll contributions can provide additional tax advantages, so blindly moving everything to an individual Fidelity HSA isn't necessarily optimal.
If you tell me (1) your current HSA provider, (2) approximate HSA balance, (3) whether your employer contributes, and (4) whether you're investing for 5, 10, or 20+ years, I can compare Fidelity vs. your current HSA and tell you whether I'd move it.