Saturday, July 4, 2026, marked the 250^th anniversary of the “birth” of our nation, along with the first anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which celebrates the births of American Babies. Trump Accounts were announced a year ago, and they are now available, with a first-round $1,000 funding gift from the USA to its newest citizens. An estimated 1.4 million babies received the opening deposit on the nation’s birthday.

Six million Trump Accounts have been opened, but initial $1,000 deposits are restricted to babies born between January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2028, roughly corresponding to the term of office of President Trump 47. American births average about 3.6 million annually, so there is an opportunity for babies yet to be born.

Trump 47 proposed and Congress adopted the Trump Account strategy to provide a “head start” for America’s next generation in the world of investing. Instead of learning about OPM (Other Peoples’ Money), Trump Account babies will be exposed to the miracle of compound growth as they mature and watch their own account balances grow. Because access to the funds is restricted before age 18, time is on their side.

Family members can add funds to Trump Accounts if they are so inclined, and several employers have also pledged contributions. The only thing more impressive than compound growth is growth with future contributions.

When a Trump Account owner reaches age 18, the account automatically becomes a Traditional IRA, and can be used exactly the way all Traditional IRAs operate. One of these options is to convert all or part of the funds to a (taxable) Roth IRA, which offers tax-free growth and income, as well as other useful provisions.

Many parents will supplement their children’s Trump Accounts with other investment vehicles, including 529 College Saving Plans. For eligible babies, the $1,000 initial deposit warrants opening a Trump Account for newborns. Even parents whose children do not qualify for the initial government-supplied deposit should consider opening a Trump Account.

For information and account opening, go to the website trumpaccounts.gov. There you can download the app to your phone. On the app, you can open an account for your child and manage it until the age of 18, as defined in the OBBBA. Among the commonsense rules of money, three stand out: more is better than less, sooner is better than later, and when someone offers you free money, for Heaven’s sake TAKE IT.

Happy Birthday to America and many of our newest citizens.