Key Points
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You can save up to $4,400 in an HSA in 2026 if you have a qualifying individual health insurance plan, or $8,750 with a qualifying family plan.
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HSAs offer a rare triple tax advantage that makes them a great choice for retirement savings.
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You can also stash as much as you want in a taxable brokerage account.
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2027 is still more than a month away, and that could be a problem for you if you’re trying to put away a lot of money for retirement. If you’ve already filled up your IRA for the year and you don’t have access to a 401(k) through your job, it can feel like you’re stuck waiting until January to start saving again.
Luckily, a couple of options might still be available to you. Here are two of the best places to stash retirement savings while you wait for the new year to start.
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1. A health savings account (HSA)
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are designed to hold medical savings, but they also make great retirement accounts. Your contributions are tax-deductible, your earnings grow tax-deferred, and medical withdrawals are tax-free at every age, giving you a rare triple tax advantage.
However, you can only contribute to an HSA if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan. This is one with a deductible of $1,700 or more for an individual health insurance plan in 2026, or one with a deductible of $3,400 or more for a family plan.
If you meet these criteria, you can save up to $4,400 in an HSA this year if you have a qualifying individual health insurance plan, or $8,750 if you have a qualifying family plan. Adults 55 and older can add another $1,000 to these limits.
Choose an HSA provider that allows you to invest your funds so your money grows more quickly. If you plan to use your HSA as a retirement account, avoid making medical withdrawals in the near term. Feel free to save your receipts, though. You can reimburse yourself for your medical costs later, once your investments have grown.
2. A taxable brokerage account
A taxable brokerage account doesn’t offer the same tax advantages as a retirement account, but it also has fewer limitations. You can invest as much money as you want on any schedule you like, and you can invest those funds in just about anything.
You can also save a little on taxes if you hold your investments for a year or more before selling. Then, they become subject to long-term capital gains tax, which is less costly than short-term capital gains tax.
This could be a great place to stash some savings if you expect to retire before age 59 1/2, when you gain penalty-free access to your retirement accounts. Decide how much you’d like to set aside here for the remainder of 2026, and then you can switch back to your IRA come January.
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