The age rule for Trump Accounts is straightforward: your child needs to be 17 or younger to open one. There's no minimum age. A newborn qualifies. A 15-year-old qualifies. The only hard cutoff is 18.
The Age Window: Under 18
Any child who is 17 or younger at the time the account is opened qualifies for an Invest America Account (Trump Account). The program is designed for children, so once a child turns 18, the window to open a new account closes.
There's one nuance here: the child must be 17 or younger for the entire calendar year the account is opened. So if your child turns 18 at any point during that year, you'd need to have opened the account in a prior year.
Is There a Minimum Age?
No. There's no minimum age. A child born yesterday qualifies. A newborn with a Social Security Number is eligible. This is specifically good news for new parents, because starting the account at birth gives the investment the most time to grow.
If you just had a baby or are expecting soon, your child is in the best possible position for this program. Find out what they qualify for at investamericaquiz.com.
What About the $1,000 Seed?
Age alone doesn't determine whether your child gets the $1,000 government seed. That's tied to birth year, not age. Specifically, children born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028 receive the free $1,000 deposit.
A child born in 2019 is under 18 and fully qualifies for an account. But they won't receive the $1,000 seed because they were born before the 2025 cutoff. They still benefit from the tax-advantaged growth and the $5,000/year contribution limit. See the full breakdown of who gets the $1,000.
Can a Teenager Open an Account?
Yes. If you have a 14- or 16-year-old, they still qualify and it's still worth opening an account. Even with fewer years of growth before 18, the account converts to a traditional IRA at 18 and continues growing tax-deferred well into adulthood. The sooner you open it, the longer it has to compound.
Learn how much your child's account could grow over time.
What Happens When My Child Turns 18?
At 18, the Trump Account converts to a traditional IRA. Your child takes control of the account and it follows standard IRA rules from that point forward. Withdrawals before age 59½ come with a 10% penalty, just like a regular IRA.
So the account doesn't just disappear at 18. It transitions into a long-term retirement vehicle that your child can keep building on for decades. See the full explanation of how Trump Accounts work here.
How to Open the Account
You can open a Trump Account by filing IRS Form 4547 with your 2025 tax return by April 15, 2026, or through the online portal at trumpaccounts.gov when it becomes available in mid-2026. A parent, guardian, or grandparent can serve as custodian until the child turns 18.
Find out exactly what your child qualifies for at investamericaquiz.com.
Still have questions? See everything people are asking about Trump Accounts.
This post is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or investment advice. Grifin is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Invest America program.
