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President Trump is urging families to claim their Trump Accounts, investment accounts designed to help kids get ahead financially. The accounts have seen several recent changes; automatic enrollment has created more than 60 million accounts for children, and stock donations are permitted, which might give the accounts a boost.
Here's what to know about the accounts, their benefits, and what you need to do to claim your child's account.
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The recent announcement about Trump Accounts
On October 7, Trump made an announcement about the accounts from the Oval Office. He shared that "over $4.5 billion has been deposited" into the accounts, including federal government seed money, contributions from children's family and friends, and philanthropic gifts.
Trump also discussed how allowing stock donations might encourage large-scale giving, and he encouraged families to claim their children's accounts to take advantage of such benefits.
Automatic enrollment in Trump Accounts
Trump Accounts, the investment accounts designed for children aged under 18, were launched in July. During his Oval Office announcement, Trump shared that automatic enrollment has created a Trump Account for every child with a valid Social Security number. Since the July launch, 8 million Trump Accounts were created, but automatic enrollment has brought the number of total accounts up to 70 million.
Though the 70 million accounts now exist, parents and legal guardians need to formally claim those accounts to activate them. To claim an account, a parent or legal guardian may use the Trump Accounts app or web portal. The individual claiming the account needs to verify their identity and their legal authority to claim the account.
Once an account is claimed, the individual has full management access to the account, including the ability to manage contributions and receive statements and tax documents.
One-time $1,000 Treasury seed money
Certain children may qualify for a one-time $1,000 Treasury contribution to their accounts. This seed money is available for children who are U.S. citizens, who have a Social Security number, and who were born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028.
The money is available after a parent or legal guardian claims the child's account. It helps create an initial balance that may grow over time, so even if a child's family and friends don't contribute additional money, the fund still has a balance.
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Family, friend, and employer contributions
Families may contribute to the account annually, regardless of whether a child receives seed money. Parents may contribute up to $2,500 per year.
Others are able to contribute to the accounts, too, including employers, relatives, and friends. Trump Accounts have a $5,000 cap on yearly contributions. Governments and charities may also contribute to the accounts, and their contributions don't count toward that annual cap.
Once children reach age 18, they gain access to the funds and are able to use them for expenses, like college costs.
The new option to donate stocks
Trump Account investments were initially limited to broad index funds, which are usually a lower-risk investment option. However, the administration has updated the program to allow investors to donate stocks from individual companies, which tend to be more volatile than index funds. According to the administration, opening up the accounts to individual stocks might encourage multimillion-dollar donations.
The change comes after SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell made a July pledge to donate stock to the Trump Accounts program. Reportedly, major gifts are already pending, according to IRS CEO Frank Bisignano. "They range from small to mega," he said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "We do have mega donors in the nine-digit range, you know, bunches of them."
The potential impact of stock donations
Donations of individual stocks may impact the accounts and their potential gains. While the donation of stock is an initial gain, concentrating an account's investments in a single stock may increase risk.
That's a risk that Bisignano denied, saying "there will be no concentration risk at all relative to the population" on CNBC's "Squawk Box."
Families don't have a say in the companies that donate stock to their child's Trump Account.
Bottom line
The changes to the Trump Accounts may offer extra benefits for families, and the automatic enrollment in the accounts may save you the time of having to sign your child up for an account. Keep in mind that even if an account has been created in your child's name, you still need to claim that account to contribute to it, or to claim a qualifying child's $1,000 seed money.
To get started, check TrumpAccounts.gov to confirm your child's status and claim the account. You may also file IRS Form 4547 to open a Trump Account and claim the $1,000 seed money. Even if you're not able to make additional contributions to your child's account, claiming the $1,000 seed money may be a helpful way to start investing in your child's future.
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