Trump Accounts have launched. Here’s what families need to know

(CNN) — Trump Accounts, a new federal savings and investment vehicle for children, went live on July 4.

To date, over 7 million Trump Accounts have been opened for children under age 18, according to the Treasury Department. Of those, 1.7 million are eligible for the much-touted $1,000 federal pilot contribution for newborns. And since their opening, $1.5 billion has been invested across all accounts.

But the total number of opened accounts is still just a fraction of the tens of millions of children under age 18 who may be eligible to have one.

For all the attention that Trump Accounts have received in recent months – especially the federal seed money and pledges of money by companies and philanthropists – there’s a lot of fine print to know if you’re planning to open an account or have already done so.

So … we’ve updated our one-stop-shop FAQ to address your most salient questions from the basics to the nitty gritty.

What are Trump Accounts?

They are IRA-style investment accounts for eligible children. They are like traditional IRAs in that money in the accounts will grow tax deferred. But the rules for Trump Accounts differ during the so-called “growth period” – which encompasses the first 18 years of a child’s life.

The account belongs to the child, but the parent, legal guardian or other authorized adult who opened it will serve as custodian until the child is 18.

Contributions from individuals must be made with after-tax money.

Withdrawals, which generally may not be made until the year the child turns 18,* will be taxed as ordinary income at the child’s tax rate – minus the portion attributable to after-tax contributions made over the years, according to the Congressional Research Service.

What are the eligibility rules for kids and adults?

Only children who are US citizens and have a valid Social Security number may have a Trump Account. And no child may have more than one.

To qualify for the one-time federal pilot contribution, the child must be born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028.

The account must be opened by an “authorized individual” on behalf of the child (also known as the “beneficiary”). If the account opener is applying for the $1,000 seed money, then that individual “must be able to claim the child as a dependent for purposes of the child tax credit,” per CRS. If the child is not eligible for the $1,000 federal pilot contribution, then that individual may be a parent, legal guardian, adult sibling or grandparent.

In terms of timing, a child must be under age 18 at the end of the year in which an account is opened for them, per the IRS.

How can I open an account?

To open an account fill out and submit Form 4547. This is the same form on which you will elect to get the $1,000 pilot contribution for eligible babies.

The Social Security Administration also recently announced it will launch processes to automate enrollment for parents of newborns when they request a Social Security number during the birth registration process.

Who may contribute money?

Beyond the federal government’s one-time contribution, several parties may contribute to a child’s account. But the rules and limitations differ for each group.

Family and friends: Parents, grandparents and other individuals may make contributions. But they will not get a deduction for their contributions.

Employers: They may make pre-tax contributions to the account of an employee’s child. That money will be tax-free to the employee. The employer’s contribution may not exceed $2,500 a year per employee, not per child, said enrolled agent David Mellem. That annual limit will be adjusted for cost of living after 2027, per the IRS.

States, qualified nonprofits organizations and philanthropists: Their contributions must be made to “members of a qualified class” – that could mean, for example, all children of a certain age, or living in households below an income threshold.

Some business leaders – notably Michael Dell and Ray Dalio – have pledged through their foundations to make one-time $250 seed contributions to the accounts of children from middle- to lower-income households.

To date at least 84 outside entities – employers, foundations and states – have committed to contribute to Trump Accounts, according to a list compiled by Americans for Tax Reform. And TrumpAccounts.com, an independent, non-governmental site run by Saving For College, has created a matching calculator that lets you see what free money might be available to your children based on their birth year, your location and your employer.

Contribution limits: Family, friends and employer contributions combined may not exceed $5,000 a year for a single account. That limit will be adjusted for cost of living starting in 2027. Contributions from governments and nonprofits will not count toward the limit.

How will the money be invested?

Contributions to Trump Accounts are invested in low-cost, broadly diversified US stock index funds or exchange-traded funds. Their expense ratio must be 0.10% or less – so for every $1,000 in an account the annual fee can’t exceed $1 a year.

Ahead of the July 4 launch, the US Treasury announced that the default investment for all accounts will be the State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM), which tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It has an expense ratio of 0.02%.

Treasury also noted that “in the coming months,” parents and guardians will have a choice of four other funds into which they may allocate contributions. Those funds are the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV); Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI); State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM) and iShares Core S&P Total US Stock Market ETF (ITOT).

The Treasury on July 2 also announced “large philanthropic contributions” of publicly available stock will be accepted for Trump Accounts.

“The stock will be contributed to Trump Accounts for eligible children consistent with the donor’s instructions, applicable law and Treasury guidance,” according to a Treasury press release.

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell, for instance, announced she would donate shares of SpaceX to more than two million Trump Accounts.

Where will the accounts be held?

Trump Accounts will be housed at Robinhood, the commission-free trading and investing platform.

Parents and their kids may keep track of the investments by using an app created by Robinhood and BNY, both of which were selected by Treasury to manage Trump Accounts in their initial phase.

How much money will a child have at 18?

It depends on how much is contributed to the account every year and how well the index or exchange-traded fund in a child’s account performs.

What can the money be used for?

Trump Accounts essentially become traditional IRAs when a child turns 18.

As such, money withdrawn from the account before the child reaches age 59-1/2 may be subject both to income taxes and a 10% early withdrawal tax.

But the 10% penalty won’t apply if the money is used for qualified expenses, including:

• Higher education costs

• Purchase of a first-time home (up to $10,000)

• Birth or adoption costs (up to $5,000 per child)

• Emergency expense (up to $1,000 a year)

• Some medical expenses

How will withdrawals be taxed?

Different contributions will be subject to different tax rules.

Contributions from individuals (parents, relatives and friends) are not tax-deductible. Instead, they are made with after-tax dollars.

Their after-tax contributions will grow tax-deferred until a withdrawal is made, which can’t happen before the year the child turns 18.

Those withdrawals – minus the portion attributed to individuals’ after-tax contributions – will be taxed like ordinary income at the child’s tax rate. Put another way, only the investment gains made on those individuals’ contributions will be taxable to the child upon withdrawal.

By contrast, contributions made by governments, nonprofits and employers will be made with pre-tax money. They, too, will grow tax-deferred until withdrawals are made. But their entire contribution plus the gains accrued will be subject to tax when the child takes money out.

Are Trump Accounts better than other accounts for children?

It depends, because each type of account has its own rules and limitations.

As Robinhood notes in its materials, “The right account depends on the family’s goals, tax situation and timeline.”

For instance: What is the money going to be used for? If education, 529 plans may be better because they let you take the money out tax-free. Or if it’s going to be used for retirement, a Roth IRA may be more advantageous because it also allows for tax-free withdrawals – and has a higher annual contribution limit.

Who will benefit most from Trump accounts?

Making an investment in children’s future from birth is a welcome idea in many quarters.

And in the best circumstances – a child’s family can afford to contribute money every year, the parent works for an employer offering additional contributions, the stock market does well during the account’s “growth period” etc – a Trump Account may provide a much-needed source of funds for today’s children to help offset the costs of college and early adulthood or grow a sizeable nest egg for their later years.

But many families won’t be able to afford to make many – or any – contributions on top of those they qualify for from outside parties. One critique of the accounts is that they will disproportionately benefit families with means.

Madeline Brown, a senior policy associate at the Urban Institute, questions the utility of Trump accounts after the $1,000 pilot ends for lower-income households, since they already have low participation rates when it comes to saving for their children’s future in other tax-advantaged plans like 529s or Roth IRAs.

“About a third of families don’t have $2,000 in emergency savings, so it’s no surprise that they don’t have the means to go start saving in for their children,” Brown said.

Another potential concern: Whether the money from a Trump Account will reduce the chances of the child or the child’s family qualifying for federal benefits and if so, which ones. The answer isn’t clear.

More guidance from federal and state lawmakers will be needed to answer questions like “If I’m 18 and pull out money from my Trump Account, will that affect my ability to get a Pell Grant?” or “Will having money in a Trump Account affect our eligibility to receive SSI payments?” said Elaine Maag, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute.