Treasury Auto-Enrolls 60 Million Children in Trump Accounts

The United States Department of the Treasury has automatically enrolled more than 60 million children under age 18 into Trump Accounts, also known as 530A accounts. Established under the One Big Beautiful Bill signed by President Donald Trump in July 2025, these tax-deferred investment vehicles are designed to build long-term wealth and transition into traditional IRAs when the child reaches 18.

This shift to automatic enrollment replaces a manual sign-up system that had reached fewer than 8% of eligible children by late July. To facilitate the expansion, the Treasury is utilizing a master group trust to bypass legal constraints regarding individual data. While enrollment is now automatic, parents must still manually claim the accounts via a mobile app or webpage to receive a one-time $1,000 federal seed contribution available for children born between 2025 and 2028.

To support administration, the Internal Revenue Service hired Joseph Velli as a senior advisor to assist with the program's rollout. The Social Security Administration will further increase access for low-income families by enrolling newborns during hospital birth registration. The accounts are managed by Robinhood Markets, Inc. and the Bank of New York Mellon.

New temporary regulations allow the accounts to hold donated individual stocks, which must generally be held for five years. This framework enables private donors to contribute appreciated stock via charities to avoid capital-gains taxes. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the initiative as a way to create a generation of shareholders and expand participation in U.S. capital markets.