WASHINGTON — President Trump is championing his new Trump Accounts initiative, calling it a way to lift children out of poverty and open up stock market opportunities to more Americans. But not every family has seen the promised money show up yet.
The president is scheduled to speak at a Georgia high school to promote the program, which provides $1,000 in starting funds for every child born during his second term. The accounts officially launched on July 4th — just two days before Trump ceremonially rang the opening bells at both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ from the Oval Office.
The tax-advantaged accounts were established through Trump’s signature legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. They are available to any child under age 18, and the Treasury Department reports 6.5 million people have signed up so far. Of those, 1.5 million children are eligible for the $1,000 seed money, which applies to babies born between 2025 and 2028.
Supporters of the program view it as an opportunity to give more American families a foothold in the stock market. They also hope it will help counter the growing appeal of democratic socialists, who advocate for higher taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals to reduce costs for lower- and middle-income Americans in areas like food and healthcare.
Once an account is established, parents, family members, friends, and even employers can add money to it. Some billionaires have also announced plans to make philanthropic contributions. The funds are managed by private investment firms and placed into index funds — a type of mutual fund that mirrors stock market performance. Children cannot access the money until they turn 18, and even then it can only be used for specific purposes such as education, starting a business, or purchasing a home.
For children born since the president took office, the U.S. Treasury is supposed to automatically deposit $1,000 to kick off each account. While some parents say the money has arrived, others have taken to social media and spoken in interviews about still waiting for the funds to appear.
Masaki and Kristina McLellan, first-time parents from Bergen County, New Jersey, admitted they were initially skeptical about signing up, concerned the program might be more of a publicity effort than a genuine benefit. However, the $1,000 incentive convinced them to move forward. Their daughter Maya was born in late March.
Masaki McLellan applied for the account on July 6th. His initial application was turned down, but after spending an hour on the Trump Account customer hotline, the account was activated. He was originally told the money would appear within 10 days. He has since been informed the wait could be as long as four weeks.
Kristina McLellan said she found the lengthy funding delay frustrating. That said, baby Maya already has several other investments growing in her name. Her parents have set up a 529 college savings plan and a custodial brokerage account for her, making the Trump Account her third investment vehicle.
