The numbers jumped fast. Earlier this month, 6.5 million children were enrolled in Trump Accounts. Now that figure has climbed to 7 million.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared the updated tally in prepared remarks given exclusively to CNBC. He called it "the most successful launch in government history."
The accounts - officially designated as 530A accounts but referred to as Trump Accounts - are for children under 18 who have a Social Security number. The pilot program targets kids born between 2025 and 2028. Those children receive a $1,000 starter deposit straight from the U.S. Treasury.
The program is the first of its kind at the federal level, designed to give every eligible child a direct stake in the stock market. Parents, grandparents, and guardians can manage the accounts until the child reaches adulthood. Because the initial deposit comes from tax revenue, the government bears the upfront cost, though future investment gains are meant to build personal wealth.
Beyond that, parents, grandparents, guardians, and others can contribute up to $5,000 per year per child. Those contributions are invested in S&P 500 index-tracking exchange-traded funds.
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President Donald Trump created the accounts under the broad legislative package he championed. Bessent referred to a Gallup survey showing that 38% of Americans own no stocks at all.
The Treasury Secretary said these accounts will create "a new class of shareholders" and are meant for "American families, left on the sidelines of Wall Street for too long, who will finally understand what it feels like to have a piece of the action."
Bessent described the program as "one of the great real-time learning experiences in the history of the United States." He also noted that young adults increasingly turn to "social media, online communities, and AI for financial advice."
The $1,000 Treasury deposit goes into each account and is invested in an S&P 500 index-tracking ETF. Family members may add up to $5,000 annually, and those investments also go into the same ETF. The money grows tax-deferred until the child turns 18, at which point the young adult gains full access to the funds.
Because the pilot only covers births from 2025 to 2028, the government can evaluate the program before deciding on a broader rollout. The goal is to build long-term wealth and stock-market familiarity among families who have historically had little or no investment exposure.
The firm noted that enrollment levels, contribution habits, and continued involvement will heavily influence these projections.
Only those born between 2025 and 2028 receive the initial $1,000 payment from the U.S. Treasury.
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