Health savings accounts could be a big help when it comes to setting aside money for retirement, but despite the length of time that HSAs have been around, they still don't draw substantial assets from most account owners, nor do they generally get used in a way that would pay off in retirement. Related: 11 practical HSA FAQs HSAs offer the much-vaunted triple tax advantage (tax-deductible contributions, assets grow tax free, not taxed on withdrawal if taken for legitimate medical expenses), and offer users the option to invest those contributions instead of just letting them sit there, but few workers do that. And while employers are busy trying to educate workers about HSA benefits, that doesn't mean that advisors are totally on board. Nor are workers, for that matter, although that could be changing as they, and their plan sponsors, better understand the long-term use of HSAs. In fact, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the longer people have accounts, the more they tend to save in them. In addition, they also tend to actually invest within them, rather than simply parking cash, and because HSAs have a rollover feature, the longer people have them the more they treat them more like investment accounts rather than as "specialized checking accounts." READ MORE:

• HSAs can be a tool in planning for retirement health needs
• 10 HSA questions employees and employers ask
• 7 not-so-positive factors affecting the future of HSAs