Your Guide to Open Enrollment: 2021 Edition

Ah, fall. Leaves change color. Cozy sweaters make a comeback. And people across the country line up for pumpkin spice lattes.

Fall is also the time for open enrollment. Those with employer-provided benefits need to make decisions about their healthcare coverage (and other elections, such as vision and dental insurance) for the coming year.

Many simply take the path of least resistance: They’ll roll over their existing benefits from one year to the next. But that may be a mistake.

"Your employer's menu may change from year to year, and so might your own needs," reminds Morningstar director of personal finance Christine Benz. For instance, your employer may've added a high-deductible healthcare plan with a health savings account as an option, which might provide you with a cost-savings opportunity. Or perhaps the vision insurance you've normally glossed over is now more appealing since two of your kids started wearing glasses this year.

We’ve created this guide to help you evaluate your healthcare and other coverage for the coming year.

A Checklist for Open Enrollment Season If you're signing up for employer-provided benefits, don't just re-up for last year's choices; read this first.

Should Spouses Obtain Separate Healthcare Insurance? With more employers levying spousal surcharges, obtaining coverage on a single plan isn't necessarily the most cost-effective for dual-earning couples.

What Is an HSA? All you need to know about this popular account used to cover healthcare expenses.

The Top HSA Providers of 2020 Fidelity continues to stand out as the best HSA for investing and for spending.

It’s Open Enrollment Season. Have You Taken a Good Look at an HSA? For high-income investors who are maxing out other tax-sheltered accounts, the high-deductible healthcare plan/HSA combo is close to a no-brainer. Can You Save Too Much in a Health Savings Account? Even savers whose assets exceed their healthcare outlays have some escape hatches.