MW 3 things to know about 'Trump accounts' - the new investment vehicle for kids advertised during the Super Bowl
Andrew Keshner
Babies born between 2025 and 2028 will get $1,000 put into their accounts
The Super Bowl ad from Invest America kicks off a public-awareness campaign on the Trump administration's new investment accounts for kids.
"Trump accounts" are getting primetime Super Bowl ad space, with a commercial slated to air just before Sunday's kickoff.
Fans of the investment accounts for children are hoping the tug-at-your-heart television spot will spark a wave of sign-ups.
In the ad, kids, tweens and teens talk about the benefits of an early start at investing. "Dear America, if I start investing when I am 16. Nine. Seven. It could change my future. All our futures," young narrators say. (Check out the ad here.)
For parents and guardians left with a lump in their throat after seeing the ad, here are three things to know about Trump accounts.
First, the accounts are open to kids up to age 18. They must be a U.S. citizen and they must have a Social Security number.
Second, how do you set one up? Your next move is turning to the taxman.
The easiest way to enroll your child in their own tax-advantaged Trump account is by signing up for one when you file your 2025 income-tax return with the Internal Revenue Service, experts say. Online sign-ups on the Trump accounts website are scheduled to begin this summer. The first contributions can be made on July 5.
Third, what exactly are Trump accounts, and how much money can they generate for children? Trump accounts were born in the massive tax law enacted last summer, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Money in the accounts will be invested in low-cost index funds with tax-deferred growth, working like an IRA.
The law will also provide $1,000 in seed money for the accounts of babies born between 2025 and 2028. Even if no additional funds were added to the account after the initial $1,000 from the Treasury Department in the limited program, that investment could compound to roughly $5,800 by age 18, based on historical returns from the S&P 500 SPX.
The Super Bowl is the country's most watched single event. Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said over 1 million households had signed up for the accounts already, and that he's hoping the commercial makes a splash.
"We are prepared for a flood of sign-ups," Bessent said on Capitol Hill this week.
The ad is paid for by Invest America, a financial advocacy organization founded by Brad Gerstner, founder and CEO of Altimeter Capital. Gerstner was a driving force behind the push to make Trump accounts become part of the tax code.
The Super Bowl spot is the launch of a public-awareness campaign, according to Matt Lira, Invest America's executive director. Expect more ads to come on a range of digital, streaming and traditional broadcast platforms, he said.
The Trump administration also hosted a summit promoting the accounts, where President Donald Trump said he believed the accounts would be remembered "as one of the most transformative policy innovations of all time." They're launching at a time when more young Americans are investing in the stock market.
That makes the Super Bowl a valuable stage to raise awareness, Lira noted. "It's good to meet the moment where Americans already gather," he said.
The Trump accounts commercial joins other ads this year touching on zeitgeisty topics - including ads on artificial intelligence from Anthropic and OpenAI, and an ad on healthcare from Hims and Hers $(HIMS)$.
Trump accounts have been getting buzz already. Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies $(DELL)$, and his wife Susan have pledged to donate $6.25 billion to the accounts. That comes out to $250 per account for 25 million children age 10 and under, according to the Dells. Hedge funder Ray Dalio and his wife have pledged approximately $75 million for the accounts of children in Connecticut.
A growing list of employers also say they are going to match the federal government's $1,000 seed money.
"When people know about the accounts, they are overwhelmingly supportive," Lira told MarketWatch. "The challenge is making people aware this exists."
-Andrew Keshner
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 08, 2026 12:00 ET (17:00 GMT)
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