**Start with your employer’s benefits office, then use an HSA directory to compare alternatives. And yes, credit unions offer HSAs.** For example, [Lake Michigan Credit Union offers an HSA](https://www.lmcu.org/checking-and-savings/savings-accounts/hsa/) with no opening or maintenance fees. Check membership eligibility for any credit union you consider.

Here’s a practical search process:

1. **Check how your employer contributes.** Ask which HSA provider receives the employer contribution, whether payroll can send contributions to a provider you choose, and which fees the employer covers. That gives you a baseline for comparing other accounts.

2. **Browse [HSA Search](https://www.hsasearch.com/).** It currently lists more than 800 providers, including banks and credit unions, and lets you compare fees, interest rates, and features. Use it to build a shortlist, then verify terms on each provider’s website.

3. **Consult [Morningstar’s HSA assessments](https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/best-hsa-providers).** They evaluate accounts separately for spending and investing. The spending assessment is the relevant one for your plans; their coverage is a selected group of providers, so use the directory for a broader search.

For money you expect to spend soon, I’d compare these features:

| Feature | What to check |
|---|---|
| Cash interest | APY at your expected balance; advertised top rates may require substantial balances |
| Fees | Maintenance, debit-card, transfer, and closure fees; any balance requirements for waivers |
| Access | Debit card, bill payment, reimbursement transfers, and processing times |
| Deposit protection | Whether the cash is held in an FDIC- or NCUA-insured deposit |

**Compare annual interest after fees.** As a hypothetical example, a $2,000 average balance earning 1% produces about $20 a year. A $3 monthly maintenance fee costs $36.

You can also consider brokerage HSAs, but check what “cash” means. [Fidelity’s self-directed HSA](https://www.fidelity.com/investing/hsa) has no account fee and defaults to a government money-market fund. That fund’s yield varies, and it is **not FDIC-insured**; this distinction matters if you specifically want an insured savings account.

Finally, you can keep the employer’s HSA and open another one. A direct **trustee-to-trustee transfer** lets you move money between them; the IRS places no numerical limit on these transfers, though provider fees may apply. Your combined contributions—including your employer’s—share one annual contribution limit. [IRS Publication 969](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p969) explains both rules.

For your situation, I’d first compare the employer account’s actual fees and cash rate with a few fee-free, insured alternatives from HSA Search.