Trump marks auto-enrollment of nearly 70 million children in savings accounts
In short
President Donald Trump announced at the White House that automatic enrollment is complete for Trump Accounts, with nearly 70 million accounts created — more than 60 million of them through the auto-enrollment process. Parents and guardians must still claim the accounts before they can manage them or receive the one-time $1,000 federal contribution, which the White House says is limited to children born between January 2025 and December 2028.
Read the full story 2 min read
President Donald Trump announced in the Oval Office on Wednesday that automatic enrollment is complete for Trump Accounts, the children’s savings accounts created under his administration. The White House says nearly 70 million accounts have now been created, including more than 60 million through an auto-enrollment process that established accounts for eligible children with valid Social Security numbers, according to Newsweek and The Hill. [ 1 , 2 ]
Trump said the program had grown quickly since its July launch. “Since launching in July, nearly 8 million accounts have been created in three months,” he said, adding that with the announcement the figure would rise to “70 million accounts — or children across America.” He also said that “since July 4th, over 4.5 billion dollars have been deposited in Trump accounts,” the New York Post reported. [ 3 ]
The automatic enrollment, however, does not mean a child has received the government’s $1,000 seed contribution, nor that parents control the account. Parents and guardians must claim an account through the official Trump Accounts platform or mobile app before they can manage it, allow family, friends or employers to contribute, or receive the one-time federal deposit. Until an account is claimed, the Bank of New York Mellon acts as trustee, according to the New York Post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Eligibility for an account is broader than eligibility for the federal payment. All children under 18 with a valid Social Security number can have a Trump Account, Newsweek reported, while the $1,000 contribution is limited to U.S. citizen children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, according to Newsweek and The Hill. The New York Post described the payment as available to any child born during Trump’s second term, a difference the documents do not resolve. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The Treasury Department automatically created accounts as of October 1 for eligible children who did not already have one, Newsweek reported. The New York Post said the roughly 8 million accounts opened since July represented about 10 percent of eligible American children at that point. [ 1 , 3 ]
The event was attended by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, IRS chief executive Frank Bisignano and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, The Hill reported, with several children also present in the Oval Office. Trump told reporters, “There are those that say this is one of the most important things that I will have done, that this administration, with these incredible people, will have done.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The program, described by the administration as a wealth-building initiative for families, now covers a broad share of American children, but the accounts remain inactive for families until they are claimed. How many families complete that step will determine whether the automatic enrollment translates into actual savings and payments.
Key facts
- The White House says nearly 70 million Trump Accounts have been created, including more than 60 million through automatic enrollment. [ 1 , 2 ]
- All children under 18 with a valid Social Security number are eligible for an account. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The one-time $1,000 federal contribution is available only for U.S. citizen children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, according to Newsweek and The Hill. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Parents or guardians must claim the account before managing it, allowing contributions or receiving the federal payment. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Trump said nearly 8 million accounts were created in the three months since the program launched in July, and that over $4.5 billion had been deposited since July 4. [ 3 ]
- Until an account is claimed, the Bank of New York Mellon acts as trustee, according to the New York Post. [ 3 ]
- The Oval Office event was attended by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, IRS chief executive Frank Bisignano and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nearly 70 million Trump Accounts have been created, with the majority opened automatically, according to the White House. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Accounts must be claimed by a parent or guardian before they can be managed or funded. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Automatic enrollment applies to eligible children with valid Social Security numbers. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Which children qualify for the $1,000 federal contribution. Newsweek and The Hill say the payment is for U.S. citizen children born between January 2025 and December 2028, while the New York Post says any child born during Trump’s second term can receive it.
- How the 8 million accounts cited by Trump relate to the nearly 70 million figure. The New York Post quotes Trump saying nearly 8 million accounts were created since July while also reporting roughly 70 million after automatic enrollment, and describes the 8 million as about 10 percent of eligible children; the documents do not reconcile the figures.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsweek publishes its report on the Oval Office event and the enrollment figures. [ 1 ]
- The Hill publishes a preview of the announcement, saying the event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT. [ 2 ]
- The Oval Office event is scheduled to start. [ 2 ]
- The New York Post publishes its account of the announcement, including Trump’s remarks. [ 3 ]