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Home > FSA is losing its appeal (& more)

FSA is losing its appeal (& more)

April 13th, 2010 at 06:50 am

Not sure if everyone knows this or not... but with all the changes coming in the next few years due to the health care overhaul, one thing that is going to look less appealing are Flexible Spending Accounts. I used to put in a certain amount, knowing that if needed I could spend on many over the counter items and stockpile if needed. Well this year is the last for that. Coming next year, most (or is it all?) OTC items will NOT be eligible for flexible spending. I'm not really complaining, I was surprised a few years ago when they expanded the elibility to include OTC items, so I'm just dissapointed now. With everything else going on with healthcare, costs are supposed to go down overall. I hope so, but we'll see. I'm betting my costs will go up, though not horribly. (Actually I'm fairly sure it will go up, since now I will have to pay taxes on my health insurance premiums - now this sucks!)

I've been watching for many months now my retirement accounts refill after last year's free fall. I never lost faith in the accounts, though I was surprised at how quick everything bounced back. With my plan to supersize my early year retirement account deposits (which I started in 2008), last year was a super year for my accounts (I deposited a lot early in 2009 when prices were at their lowest). My retirement sites show my "Personal Performance" for last year at over 50%. Oh, if only I could do that every year! (Can you imagine? You would only have to work a few years, then retire on your earnings. That would be crazy.)

The accelerated pay-down of my mortgage continues. I put in an extra $325/mo., and with the current payments already 80% principle, the end is in sight. The accelerated payoff date is currently mid 2012. I suspect if my finances are pumped up enough, I will probably just pay it off totally late 2011 / early 2012 and look at the payoff money like a short term CD earning the mortgage rate.

The Roth IRA is over half funded for 2010. When my 2009 tax refund arrives (any day now?) I will probably put the last $2K in. The refund is way more than I meant for it to be (I was aiming for a $0 refund), but due to the timing of my end of year paycheck I put much more into taxes for 2009 than I intended. Oh well, the overpayment was at year end, so its not like I gave the free loan to the government for all the year.

Finally - sorry for the rambling - this was more of a train of thought post. This is what happens when you write up something late at night.

7 Responses to “FSA is losing its appeal (& more)”

  1. gamecock43 Says:
    1271162592

    MORTGAGE PAYOFF!!! Always a cause for celebration! How long have you had the mortgage?

  2. ceejay74 Says:
    1271169640

    That kind of sucks about FSAs and OTC expenses, but I've been getting more and more annoyed at how much like gambling it is anyway...this year I blew through my FSA by the end of March, and I still have many doctor and dental visits and prescription drugs still to come this year. I hate how badly I can miscalculate the amount I need in the FSA. What would be great, in place of allowing OTC expenses, is to refund us any unused FSA money and tax it. Then they get the tax money on it, which seems to be one of the motivations of changing the rule, but we don't have to feel like we're potentially throwing money away by putting too much into the FSA at the beginning of the year.

  3. Single Guy Says:
    1271171188

    I bought the house in 1998 with an ARM (with PMI) that was scheduled to adjust to over 8% in 2000. I refinanced in 2000 to a fixed rate 15 year mortgage at 6.375% (and no PMI! thanks to the start of the housing bubble). Every time it would have made sense to refinance again I didn't for various reasons. If I keep the payment rate up it will be paid for in 14 years total. Not the fastest payoff ever, but considering all I went through and have accomplished, I don't think many people could have done it this quickly.

  4. PatientSaver Says:
    1271186910


    Where did you get your information about the FSAs? I haven't heard anything about that....

    Congrats on the mortgage...i know when i get in the $20,000 range, I'll just want to pay it all off.

  5. Single Guy Says:
    1271208617

    Here are two links that discuss the changes: http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=355139
    http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2429008

    As for the mortgage, its at about $32,000 now and should hit $20,000 by spring next year. Since I'm single, and I have a moderately high property tax, it will still make sense to itemize taxes even when I am not paying that much in property taxes. Given that, I will probably wait until the total remaining is $10,000 or less.

  6. Jerry Says:
    1272660748

    I had missed that about FSAs as well, and we have really relied on those for insurance copays and OTCs in the past. It has never lead to any problems, but who knows with all the current changes... argh!
    Jerry

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