Washington, Jan 29 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday unveiled a new federal initiative called “Trump Accounts,” saying the programme would provide every newborn American child with a government-funded investment account to give families a financial head start from birth.
Speaking at the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit, Trump said the initiative would “give every newborn American child a financial stake in the future,” calling it a way to ensure that children begin life with assets rather than debt.
Under the programme, the US government will automatically create a tax-free investment account for each child born in the country. The account will be seeded with a $1,000 contribution at birth, Trump said, with additional contributions allowed from parents, employers, states, and other donors.
“We’ll fund those personal accounts with a seed contribution of $1,000, which will compound and grow over the course of their lives,” Trump said, adding that the accounts could grow to “very, very substantial numbers” over time.
The President said families and supporters would be able to add up to $5,000 annually to each account. With modest contributions, he said, the accounts could reach at least $50,000 by the time a child turns 18, and potentially far more. “The typical account will grow to 100,000, 200,000, and can even grow up to past $300,000 per child,” he said.
Calling the initiative unprecedented in scale, Trump said the programme would ultimately place trillions of dollars in the hands of young Americans over the next decade. “Over the next 15 years, we’re going to put 3 to $4 trillion of wealth into the hands of young Americans who otherwise would have really started with nothing,” he said.
The President linked the initiative to legislation he signed last year, which he described as a “great, big, beautiful bill,” saying it made the programme possible. He also highlighted broader tax measures, including “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security,” as part of what he called a pro-worker economic agenda.
Trump credited private-sector support as central to the programme’s rollout. He announced that Michael and Susan Dell had donated $6.25 billion to fund accounts for an additional 25 million children aged 10 and under, calling it “one of the largest private donations of all time.”
Several major employers have also committed to contributing to the accounts, Trump said, naming companies including Uber, Schwab, Charter Communications, Intel, Nvidia, Broadcom, IBM, and Comcast. Visa, he added, is creating a platform that would allow cardholders to deposit cash-back rewards directly into their accounts.
Trump said parents will be able to activate the accounts beginning July 4 this year through a dedicated government website. “When Trump accounts officially launch on July 4th of this year, every parent will be able to activate their accounts and access the funds,” he said.
In closing remarks, Trump framed the initiative as a defining legacy policy. “Every President in modern history has left our children with nothing but debt,” he said. “Under this administration, we’re going to leave every child with real assets and a shot at financial freedom.”
The United States has previously relied on targeted tax credits and education savings plans to support families with children. Trump Accounts would mark the first universal, government-seeded investment programme for all newborns, positioning early asset ownership as a central pillar of US family and economic policy.
–IANS
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