Among the more than 1,000 pages of President Trump’s tax bill, there are proposals to take into account babies born in the second term.
Initially, the money account is called the Account for Growth and Progress (MAGA), and the savings proposal was recently renamed the “Trump Account.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who is believed to have come up with the idea, calls the $1,000 investment for future generations “transformative.”
“There are a lot of Americans who don’t own stocks or bonds, are not invested in the market, and can’t feel that they’re not particularly invested in the American free enterprise system.
However, the idea of giving a baby a financial head start when it comes to education, homeownership and financial success is nothing new in itself. A similar plan is being implemented in Connecticut, the other being proposed by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).
Who is eligible?
Under Trump’s “Big Beautiful” bill, eligible babies born between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2029 will receive $1,000 in a Trump account opened by their parents or the Treasury Department.
To qualify, the newborn must be a US citizen and have a Social Security number. According to the bill, parents must also provide a Social Security number to indicate that they are eligible for the job.
“If the Treasury Secretary determines that a qualified individual does not have an account
Opened for them by the first tax return, where the child is billed as a qualified child,
The Secretary shall establish an account on the scope, taking into consideration, on behalf of the child.
Whenever possible, parents preferred custodians and investment funds, “I read the bill.” Parents will be given the option to opt out of their account. ”
How does your account work?
Families have the option to add up $5,000 a year, and account holders cannot take distributions by the age of 18. Donations from tax-free entities such as private foundations are not subject to the $5,000 cap.
At age 18, additional investments are limited, but nominated account holders have access to up to 50% of their money to pay for higher education, training and first-time home purchases.
At age 30, account holders have access to all balances for any purpose.
According to the retirement plan advisor, the funds are invested in US equity index funds and are taxed as capital gains if they are spent on eligible expenses. Retracting money for an unqualified purchase will be punished and taxed as normal income.
Michael Piwowar and Robert Shapiro of the Milken Institute published a paper analyzing the growth outlook for such accounts and found that on average, $1,000 investments increase to $8,000 in 20 years, $69,000 in 40 years, and $574,000 in 60 years.
Financial experts respond
Many experts responded positively to account creation, but questioned the structure.
“The proposal for a MAGA account is an encouraging step, but I missed out on some important pieces,” Russell Investments CEO Zach Buchwald told Plan Adviser in a statement earlier this month. “If you need true financial security, you need a long-term solution, including retirement. Give all young Americans the opportunity to build real wealth, not just starter funds.”
Others asked why you put money already taxed into accounts that don’t allow you to make it tax-free if you have an option like a 529 university savings plan, or a Roth IRA that allows you to do so.
“Giving your kids money is generally good,” Zach Teutsch, managing partner at Values Added Financial, told Yahoo Finance, but families who chose to fund their Trump account over the tax 529 plan “a surprising and sure enough” that their children will not be going to college.
Meanwhile, Trump’s accounts will only become reality if the administration’s “big and beautiful bill” does it through the Senate.
If the bill passes without being changed to Trump’s account, financial writer Jim Wang advises:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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