The Department of Treasury reports there have been 7 million children enrolled in the new child retirement accounts referred to as "Trump Accounts.” An estimated 1.7 million of those accounts are for children born between 2025 and 2028 who qualify for a grant of $1,000 from the federal government. Since the child accounts were launched on July 4, over $1.5 billion has been deposited in the accounts. Parents and certain other individuals and entities may also make contributions of up to $5,000 per year to the account. Trump accounts are available to any child under age 18 who has a Social Security number.

The $1,000 contribution by the federal government is similar to an income-tax refund. The Treasury Department states that it is taking a few days for the $1,000 amount to be deposited in the account of each qualified child.

The Trump account may be created by individuals who have an IRS online account. If you do not have an IRS online account, you must create an account with ID.me. This is a method the federal government uses to verify identity.

The ID.me account requires a video verification with a representative of ID.me. After the verification, your ID.me account is established and you can activate the child retirement account.

Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ officially launched the accounts on July 6. NYSE Chair Jeffrey Sprecher stated that "capitalism and the ability to participate in this country is the best thing that we can give to the next generation."

The federal government also announced on July 2 that it is open to "large philanthropic contributions of readily tradable public company stock to support Trump Accounts." While the accounts allow funding by qualified exempt nonprofits, there are also individual donors who are providing generous amounts to children. Some of the donors are funding additional contributions for children in specific states. The Treasury Department stated that contributions are expected to be large amounts of readily tradable stock from eligible contributors.

The website for the accounts also includes basic information on investing. It has tutorials that explain to children and parents the benefits of investing.

Editor’s Note: The tutorials are helpful to both school-age children and their parents. Children born from 2025 to 2028 who receive the $1,000 from the federal government are likely too young to benefit today. However, it is anticipated that the combination of these accounts and educational tutorials will enhance the financial literacy of America's children.