Trump Explores Expanding Investment Accounts to Adults Under 40

President Donald Trump announced that the White House is exploring the creation of an alternative Trump Account for adults, expanding a tax-advantaged investment program previously established for children. The original program provides a one-time $1,000 federal seed contribution to citizens born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028.

Brad Gerstner, the architect of the accounts and CEO of Altimeter Capital, proposed expanding eligibility to all U.S. citizens under the age of 40. Gerstner noted that such an expansion would require new legislation from the United States Congress. The proposal aims to provide a wealth-building tool for the nearly half of Americans who currently lack retirement savings, potentially allowing 100 million additional people to build individual assets.

While the administration has not explicitly endorsed privatizing Social Security, the strategy is viewed as a potential method to reduce national dependence on the federal program by encouraging individual ownership and compounding growth. Current discussions focus on whether the adult accounts should be universal or targeted at low-income individuals, how to protect public benefit eligibility for participants, and whether to allow diversified investments beyond equities for those nearing retirement.