Trump Accounts to Be Assigned at Birth by Social Security Admin

Social Security Takes the Lead in Expanding Trump Accounts

President Donald Trump is moving to make Trump Accounts a routine part of every eligible American child’s start in life by assigning the responsibility to the Social Security Administration, the federal agency that already processes nearly every newborn’s Social Security number. Rather than requiring parents to complete a separate application after bringing a child home, the administration is integrating Trump Account enrollment directly into the paperwork completed at hospitals following birth.

The move is designed to make participation simple and nearly automatic. By using the existing Enumeration at Birth program, which has been in place since 1987, the Trump administration hopes to ensure that every eligible newborn has the opportunity to begin building long term financial assets from the first days of life. According to the Social Security Administration, the change removes one of the biggest barriers for parents by eliminating the need for an additional enrollment process.

Building Wealth From Day One

SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano described the effort as a natural extension of the agency’s role in serving American families.

“Social Security numbers are the backbone of Trump Accounts, and we will empower parents to enroll their newborns through the Enumeration at Birth program to take full advantage of this program from the day a child is born,” Bisignano said.

That statement reflects the administration’s broader goal of making participation as universal and efficient as possible. Since virtually every newborn already receives a Social Security number through hospital registration, the government can use that same process to establish a Trump Account without requiring parents to return later to complete additional paperwork.

Approximately 3.6 million babies are born in the United States each year, giving the Social Security Administration an unmatched opportunity to reach virtually every eligible family. Under the new system, hospitals will receive updated guidance, states will modify their birth registration forms, and parents will be offered the ability to establish a Trump Account while completing the same paperwork used to request a Social Security number.

What Is a Trump Account?

Trump Accounts were created under legislation signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025. They function as custodial investment accounts for children under the age of 18 and are designed to give young Americans a financial foundation before they reach adulthood.

Eligible children who are U.S. citizens with valid Social Security numbers and who were born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, qualify for a one time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury. That initial government investment is intended to give every participating child an early financial head start.

Beyond the federal contribution, families, employers, charities, relatives, and other supporters may contribute up to a combined $5,000 each year. The funds are invested in low cost U.S. equity index funds, allowing the accounts to grow over time through long term market performance.

Long Term Investment With Defined Rules

The accounts are designed to encourage saving rather than short term spending. Money remains invested until the child reaches age 18, when the account transitions into an individual retirement account.

At that point, withdrawals are permitted for specific purposes such as paying for college, purchasing a home, or retirement planning. Withdrawals for other purposes may result in penalties, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on long term financial responsibility.

By investing in diversified U.S. equity index funds over nearly two decades, supporters believe the accounts could provide meaningful financial resources as children enter adulthood.

SSA Launches a Nationwide Enrollment Campaign

The Social Security Administration is not limiting its efforts to hospital enrollment forms. According to the agency, it will also update its public websites, revise publications, work with hospitals nationwide, and coordinate with states to ensure the new enrollment procedures are implemented smoothly. Future Social Security card mailers sent to parents of newborns will also contain information explaining the benefits of Trump Accounts and the streamlined enrollment process.

The agency also plans to work with its network of partners and stakeholders to increase public awareness of the program.

For children who have already been born, parents are still able to establish a Trump Account through TrumpAccounts.gov by completing IRS Form 4547. The new hospital enrollment process is intended primarily to ensure that future newborns are enrolled immediately rather than requiring parents to remember to complete another step later.

Millions Already Participating

The administration says public interest has been strong even before the new enrollment system takes effect. President Trump announced that more than six million accounts had already been requested prior to the official launch of the program. Beginning July 4, 2026, eligible children who already have Trump Accounts started receiving the government’s initial $1,000 Treasury deposits.

President Trump also announced that the Treasury Department will now accept publicly traded stock as philanthropic contributions to Trump Accounts, expanding opportunities for businesses and charitable organizations to support participating children.

“This opens the door for GREAT American Businesses, Philanthropists, and Job Creators to invest directly in the future of our children, and help build a Generation of Savers, Investors, and Owners,” Trump wrote.

Making Enrollment Nearly Automatic

By assigning responsibility to the Social Security Administration, the Trump administration is leveraging one of the federal government’s most established and universal systems. Rather than asking families to navigate another government program after childbirth, enrollment can now occur during the same hospital process already used to establish a child’s legal identity through a Social Security number.

Supporters argue that placing the responsibility with the agency that already interacts with nearly every newborn greatly increases the likelihood that eligible children will receive both their account and the government’s initial $1,000 investment. The strategy reflects President Trump’s stated goal of making Trump Accounts broadly available while reducing paperwork for parents and ensuring that every eligible child begins life with an opportunity to build long term financial assets from birth.