A method is provided for optimizing savings in financial accounts, including healthcare and retirement accounts for an employee and or participant. The method includes receiving information about the participant and financial accounts for which the participant is eligible to use and or using, and generating for the participant a savings hierarchy recommending the order and amounts to be contributed to the financial accounts from the participant's budgeted savings dollars. The method also includes determining generating the savings hierarchy for both full year and partial year activity by the participant. The method further includes transmitting the recommendations to the participant via data displayed as a graphical user interface with a graphical representation of the savings hierarchy to provide the participant with ease of understanding the recommendations for optimizing the budgeted savings dollars or selected contribution amount.