09/30/2026
There is $1,000 sitting on the table for millions of American children right now, and most families have not picked it up.
Trump Accounts went live on July 4th. Children born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028 may qualify for a one time $1,000 federal contribution. Here is the part that catches people: it is not automatic. If no one makes the election, no deposit is made. Ever.
But claiming the $1,000 is the easy decision. The harder one comes next.
These accounts are structured similarly to traditional IRAs. The money grows tax deferred, not tax free, and it is generally locked until the child turns 18. Which means the next five thousand dollars you set aside for that child may belong somewhere else entirely, depending on whether the goal is college, flexibility, or a head start on retirement that begins in a crib.
Most families will never run that comparison. The ones who do will hand their kids a measurably different outcome eighteen years from now.
I walked through the whole thing in this month's video: what these accounts are, who qualifies, how to claim the contribution, and how they stack up against a 529, a UTMA, and a Roth.
If you have a child or grandchild in that birth window, watch it this week. The paperwork takes minutes. The decision behind it deserves more than that.
Approval No. 1149860
