Our Standards
Editorial Policy
HSA Orbit is an independent educational resource. We exist to help consumers and employers navigate Health Savings Accounts with trustworthy, expert-verified information. Here is exactly how we uphold that mission.
Core Editorial Principles
Independence First
Our ratings, reviews, and recommendations are based entirely on independent research. Affiliate partnerships never influence editorial judgments. Providers cannot pay for favorable coverage, higher rankings, or preferential placement.
Full Transparency
We disclose all affiliate relationships and revenue sources. When we earn a commission from a provider link, we say so clearly. Our methodology, scoring criteria, and data sources are published openly.
Expert Verification
Every article and provider review is researched by our editorial team and fact-checked by subject-matter experts holding credentials in personal finance (CFP), tax planning (CPA, EA), investment analysis (CFA), and employee benefits law (CEBS, JD).
Prompt Corrections
If we discover an error, we correct it immediately, note the change, and timestamp the update. We take every reader correction seriously and investigate all flagged inaccuracies within 48 hours.
Reader-First Content
We write for consumers, not providers. Our content is designed to help individuals and employers make smarter HSA decisions, not to sell products. If a provider is weak in an area, we say so.
Primary Sources
We cite IRS publications, federal regulations, provider fee schedules, and SEC filings directly. Market data comes from our proprietary database of 1.2M+ data points. We never rely on unverified claims.
How We Review HSA Providers
Every provider in our directory goes through a rigorous, multi-step evaluation before receiving a rating.
- 1
Data Collection
We gather fee schedules, investment lineups, feature lists, and account terms directly from official provider websites, plan documents, and SEC filings.
- 2
Hands-On Testing
Whenever possible, our analysts open and use accounts to evaluate onboarding, mobile experience, customer support responsiveness, and day-to-day usability.
- 3
Scoring & Weighting
Each provider is scored across four categories (Fees, Investments, Features, UX) using our published methodology. Scores are calculated algorithmically to remove subjective bias.
- 4
Expert Review
A credentialed editor reviews every rating for accuracy and context. Final scores are approved only after cross-referencing with our database of 1.2M+ data points.
- 5
Quarterly Updates
Ratings are refreshed every quarter or whenever a provider makes material changes to fees, features, or investment options.
Affiliate Disclosure
We maintain editorial firewalls between our revenue operations and content teams. Writers and analysts are never informed of, or incentivized by, affiliate relationships. Our rating methodology is applied uniformly to all providers regardless of commercial relationships.
Content Standards for Articles & Guides
- ✓Every factual claim must be traceable to a primary source (IRS publication, provider document, or regulatory filing).
- ✓All tax-related guidance is reviewed by a CPA or Enrolled Agent before publication.
- ✓Investment content is reviewed by a CFA charterholder or CFP professional.
- ✓Legal and compliance content is reviewed by an attorney with employee benefits expertise.
- ✓Articles are updated whenever IRS rules, contribution limits, or provider terms change.
- ✓We clearly distinguish between factual reporting and editorial opinion.
Spotted an error or have a question about our editorial process?
Contact Our Editorial Team