Trump Accounts launched July 4 with $1,000 baby deposits. See who qualifies, contribution limits, and how to enroll before your child turns 18.
Trump Accounts, the federal government's new tax deferred savings program for children, officially opened on July 4 with roughly 1.5 million newborns receiving an automatic $1,000 deposit from the Treasury Department. The money invests and compounds until the child turns 18, when the account converts into a standard IRA.
In Brief
- About 1.5 million newborns get a $1,000 seed deposit starting July 4
- Roughly 5 million children under 18 who already signed up had accounts activated the same day
- Up to 25 million kids age 10 or younger in qualifying ZIP codes may get a $250 gift from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
- Families, relatives and employers can contribute up to $5,000 per child annually, indexed for inflation after 2027
- Roughly 73.1 million children under 18 lived in the U.S. as of 2024, meaning millions remain eligible but unenrolled
How the Seed Money and Eligibility Work
Only babies born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, qualify for the automatic $1,000 deposit. The child also needs U.S. citizenship and a Social Security number. Kids who don't meet the newborn window can still open a Trump Account and receive contributions, they simply miss out on the government's initial deposit.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the program as an ownership push during a Senate Finance Committee hearing earlier this year, noting that nearly 40 percent of Americans currently hold no exposure to U.S. equities. His argument: giving every child a stake in the market from birth changes that math over time through compounding.
Signing Up Before or After the Deadline
There was no hard cutoff tied to July 4. Families can register anytime before the child turns 18 using the online portal at Trumpaccounts.gov, through the IRS website with an existing or new account, or via the Treasury's new Trump Accounts app. No contribution is required to open an account, though the Treasury encourages families to add money so the balance has more time to grow.
| Group | What They Receive | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Newborns (2025 to 2028) | $1,000 government seed deposit | U.S. citizen with Social Security number |
| Kids under 18 already enrolled | Account activation, no seed money | Signed up before July 4 |
| Children 10 or younger in qualifying ZIP codes | Up to $250 charitable gift | Residency in eligible area |
| All eligible children | Up to $5,000 per year in outside contributions | Account open before age 18 |
What Millions of Unenrolled Families Are Missing
Census figures put the number of children under 18 nationwide at about 73.1 million in 2024, far more than the roughly 6.5 million accounts activated or seeded so far. That gap suggests millions of eligible kids haven't been signed up yet, whether because parents haven't heard about the program or haven't gotten around to the paperwork.
The accounts carry no penalty for waiting. Since enrollment stays open until a child's eighteenth birthday, families who missed the July 4 launch lose nothing except time for compounding. Whether uptake accelerates now that the program has a visible start date, or stays sluggish among families unaware it exists, will likely shape how large these accounts grow before the first wave of newborns reaches adulthood.
