Trump Accounts are free money. Don't let politics stop you. | Opinion
What if you had a chance to give your kid a head start in life, but it was tied to the most controversial president in modern times? Would you let your own politics get in the way, or set them aside for your kids' financial future?
We know the answer for some people. So far, Americans have opened 6 million Trump Accounts, an investment tool that officially went live on July 4.
As a mom, I didn't hesitate to open these for some of my kids, because, all politics aside, it's a no-brainer: The program lets parents, grandparents, employers and charities contribute up to $5,000 a year per child into each account. Contributions aren't tax deductible, but the money grows in long-term index funds tied to stock market performance.
I don't have any babies left in the house, but for parents of kids born between 2025 and 2028, it's even better. Each of those children can get a $1,000 seed contribution from the Treasury Department, which grows tax-deferred. The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and Robinhood are managing the accounts for now.
Unfortunately, a Public First poll found that only 20% of U.S. adults knew what Trump Accounts even were, with lower-income families the least likely to have heard of them. I suspect some of that information gap comes down to partisan politics. Pew Research data shows that 58% of voters in the lowest income tier identify with the Democratic Party.
Investing is one of the best ways to build wealth, but it's often out of reach for families with nothing to spare. Trump Accounts give every child a financial head start, even if parents do nothing more than let the seed money sit or rely on gifts from relatives. Lower-income and working-class families stand to gain the most.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that 86% of the 6 million children signed up for Trump Accounts belong to families earning less than $200,000 a year.
Given how many Democrats strongly dislike Trump, some will likely skip opening an account for their kids simply because it bears his name – putting party loyalty ahead of their own child's prosperity.
Where government and business actually get this right
Trump Accounts show the private sector doing what it should: following the money where it's useful. More than 50 companies – Goldman Sachs, Citi, JPMorganChase and Vanguard among them – have committed to contribute for their employees' kids, even those who don't qualify for the $1,000 from Treasury.
General federal revenues, specifically funds appropriated by Congress under the Working Families Tax Cuts, funded the initial seed money. Corporate buy-in is good marketing for these companies. But it also means real money landing in real kids' accounts, which is the part that should matter to parents deciding whether to open one.
Michael and Susan Dell announced a $6.25 billion donation to seed 25 million accounts for kids age 10 and under with $250 each. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said that she and her husband are donating SpaceX stock to Trump Accounts for more than 2 million children. Brad Gerstner, CEO of Altimeter Capital, pledged $250 of his own money to the account of each qualifying child under 5 in Indiana.
Joe Gebbia, Airbnb's cofounder and chief design officer, said kids "actually get to watch in the app how their investment grows over time" and called it "one of the most exciting product launches" he's been part of.
It's persuasive that some of the nation's wealthiest and most successful people are backing this.
Set politics aside – just do it
I'll admit it: If President Barack Obama had started something like this, I would have been tempted to turn my nose up at it, because I couldn't stand his left-leaning policies. But I'd like to think my desire to help my kids build wealth would win out over my dislike of his politics – and that's the standard I'm holding everyone else to here.
The math backs that up. A child with just the $1,000 seed money, and nothing else invested, will have $243,000 by age 55. Add $250 a year, and that grows to $878,000. Add $5,000 a year, and it's $13 million.
If only Republican parents open Trump Accounts, their kids will be millionaires by the time America celebrates her 300th birthday – and the kids with liberal parents will be left wondering why theirs didn't just do it anyway, partisan politics notwithstanding. Parents who refuse to open one because they can't stand Trump's presidency are choosing party over their own child's future.
In 10, 20 or 50 years, when your kid asks what you were thinking, "I couldn't stand the president" is going to sound pretty shallow and shortsighted.
The question isn't whether you support Trump. It's whether you're willing to let politics stand between your child and a financial head start.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Accounts are free money. Don't let politics stop you. | Opinion
Reporting by Nicole Russell, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 4:31 AM.