October 2018 Accountholder Newsletter

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OCTOBER 2018 EDITION

Greetings to our valued HSA, HRA and FSA accountholders. This month we are sharing an exciting announcement, plus a few tips and tools. From the entire Sterling team, thank you for your business.

STERLING NAMED A TOP WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA Sterling is very proud to announce that it has been named #40 of the Top Woman-Owned Businesses in the Bay Area and #20 of the Top Woman-Owned Businesses in the East Bay by the San Francisco Business Times. Congratulations to the entire team. We keep working hard to service our clients, and be the best we can be.

HSA 101: DID YOU KNOW?

  • HSAs have a triple tax Advantage! HSA contributions are tax-deductible. When made through payroll deductions, contributions are pre-tax.
  • Interest earned in an HSA is tax-free.
  • Withdrawals are tax-free, when made for qualified medical expenses.
  • HSAs have no expiration dates. With HSAs, any money that’s not used one year simply carries over to the next year, continuing to earn you interest.

THE IRS HAS ANNOUNCED 2019 HSA LIMITS The IRS has announced the 2019 Annual Maximum Contributions:

  • Individual – $3,500
  • Family – $7,000

The HDHP Deductible remains at:

  • Individual/Self – $1,350
  • Family – $2,700

Age 55 + will stay at $1,000 Annual Maximum Catch-Up

DO YOU HAVE A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 13? GET THE SCOOP ON FSA DEPENDENT CARE The Dependent Care FSA allows you to use pretax dollars to pay for eligible expenses related to care for your child, disabled spouse, elderly parent or other dependent who is mentally or physically incapable of self-care, so you can work, look for work or attend school full time. Dependent care expense reimbursement provided during the calendar year cannot exceed $5,000. In the case of a separate return by a married individual, the limit is $2,500. How it works: If you have the Sterling mobile app, you may submit receipts for dependent care expenses by simply uploading the image of the receipt to the app and following the prompts. You may also submit receipts online to Sterling’s online portal. For more information on FSA Dependent Care and the rules governing it, refer to IRS Publication 503, or ask your employer for your Summary Plan Description.

PASSWORD TIP Security is a priority here at Sterling. However, that means our password protocol can be tricky for some. Sterling’s passwords are CASE SENSITIVE. If you need help with your passwords or unlocking your account, don’t hesitate to call us. Thank you!

CLAIMS SUBSTANTIATION TIP Our Customer Service Team in Oakland has been receiving questions about how to substantiate debit claims through our online portal. Here’s how to do it! To locate your unsubstantiated debit card payments online, follow these steps: 1. Log into your account 2. Click on “Claims” and then 3. Click on the subcategory “Debit Card Activity.” You can upload your scanned documentation from there by clicking on each “Unsubstantiated” transaction. Need help with this? Just call us.

GET TO KNOW THE HSA STORE!

As you know, Sterling has a great partner in the FSA Store, a one stop shop for FSA-eligible items. We are now excited to announce that we have partnered with the HSA Store to help HSA participants save money and time when they shop for HSA-eligible products. With the largest selection of guaranteed HSA-eligible products and easy-to-understand educational resources, HSA Store is here to maximize participants’ long-term health savings and help ease the financial burden of medical needs should they arise. Our gift to you, click the coupon below for $10 off your purchase of HSA-eligible items at HSA Store.

GET OUR FREE MOBILE APP!  Available now for iOS and Android – Sterling accountholders can get the free app, today! With our new mobile app, accountholders can:

  • Check balances
  • Schedule contributions for HSA accounts
  • Schedule disbursements for HSA/HRA/FSA accounts
  • Download tax statements (Forms 1099 and 5498)
  • Upload claim receipts
  • COBRA-qualified beneficiaries can view account info and payment history.

STERLING INSTRUCTIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS Sterling has created several instructional videos to help our accountholders take advantage of our online capabilities and perform frequent tasks, like how to register online, how to submit claims, and more. Visit our YouTube channel here to check them out today.

FINALLY, THANK YOU Thank you for your business. We are grateful to serve you. If you have a question, please feel free to contact us by phone at 1-800-617-4729, on our web form or via email.