Claim Your Child's Trump Account: $1,000 Seed

In early October, the Treasury Department did something unusual: it opened an investment account for nearly every child in America, whether their parents asked or not. The accounts are real, the seed money is real, and almost none of it moves until a parent claims the account. I spent this week reading the Treasury guidance and the program summaries so you do not have to. If your child was born between 2025 and 2028, there is a one-time $1,000 federal deposit waiting on a claim. If your child was born earlier and meets the income rules, a $250 gift funded by Michael and Susan Dell may be waiting instead. Here is who gets what, and the exact claim steps.

What changed in October: auto-enrollment for 60 million kids

Trump Accounts, formally Section 530A accounts, opened on July 4, 2026, for any US child under 18 with a Social Security number. Take-up was slow: Treasury estimates only about 7 to 8 million children had accounts opened in the first months, out of roughly 70 million eligible, according to the Kitces summary of the Treasury regulations. Under regulations issued in late September, Treasury then auto-enrolled more than 60 million eligible children on October 1, and IRS leadership said in mid-October that up to 25 million accounts could be funded through the Dell program alone. Auto-enrollment created the account. It did not claim it. In Treasury's own framing, a parent or guardian must claim the account to manage it and to allow family, friends, and employers to contribute, and the federal seed is paid once the account is claimed.

Who gets the free money, and who just gets an account

The $1,000 is the narrowest piece: a one-time Treasury payment for US citizen children born January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028, once the account is claimed and the parent elects it. The Dell gift is broader but means-tested by geography: $250 for eligible children born 2016 through 2024 who are not getting the federal seed, funded by a $6.25 billion pledge projected to reach about 25 million children, with eligibility tied to ZIP codes under an income threshold that program summaries put at a median family income of $150,000 or less (some summaries say $115,000; the app shows your child's actual eligibility, which is the number that counts). Roughly 72 companies have also committed to matching contributions for employees' children, per IRS statements in October. Older children get the account with no seed at all, which is still useful: family contributions are capped at $5,000 a year, employers can contribute with an exclusion of up to $2,500 per employee for 2026 and 2027, and the money invests in low-cost broad US equity index funds with fees of 0.1 percent or less during the growth period.

The amounts on the table: $250 Dell gift, $1,000 federal seed, $2,500 employer exclusion, $5,000 annual contribution limit. Source: Treasury and IRS guidance as summarized by Kitces and program reporting, October 2026.

The claim, step by step

Claim through the official Trump Accounts app (iOS and Android) or the official website, which you should reach by typing trumpaccounts.gov yourself, never by tapping a link in a text or email; a brand-new program with 60 million accounts is exactly what scammers wait for. The parent or legal guardian, not a grandparent, does three things in the app: verify their identity and relationship to the child, review the child's information, and accept the account terms. IRS Form 4547 is the paper election route referenced in program guidance if you cannot use the app. The claim itself is free. My honest advice on timing: do it this month, for every child, in one sitting. The seed does not expire this week, but an unclaimed account cannot receive the Dell gift, employer matches, or a single dollar from grandparents, and those windows are the ones with deadlines. After claiming, decide contributions with clear eyes: withdrawals are generally locked until the year the child turns 18, when the account converts to traditional IRA rules, so this is college-and-beyond money, not a savings account for next summer.

FAQ

How do I claim my child's Trump Account? A parent or legal guardian claims it in the official Trump Accounts app or at trumpaccounts.gov: verify identity and relationship to the child, review the child's information, and accept the terms. The claim is free, and IRS Form 4547 is the paper election route in program guidance.

Which children get the $1,000 federal seed? US citizen children born January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028, once a parent claims the account and elects the payment, according to Treasury and IRS program guidance.

Which children get the $250 Dell gift? Children born 2016 through 2024 who are not receiving the federal seed and who meet the program's ZIP-code income rules, funded by Michael and Susan Dell's $6.25 billion pledge for about 25 million children. The app shows your child's eligibility.

How much can family contribute each year? Up to $5,000 a year per child from family, friends, and most employer money combined, with an employer exclusion of up to $2,500 per employee for 2026 and 2027, per program guidance summarized by Kitces.

Can my child withdraw the money before 18? Generally no. Withdrawals are not allowed before the year the child turns 18, after which traditional IRA rules generally apply, per program guidance.