Today, and marking America’s 250th birthday, millions of American children have something they didn’t have yesterday: an investment account in their own name.
This is a day we’ve hoped to see for years.
We came to this through a simple belief that has shaped everything we’ve done through our foundation for more than 25 years: every child deserves a real shot. When the future feels real, families start planning for it. An account in a child’s name makes that future a little more tangible – something families can build on together.
That’s what an Invest America account is. Not a promise, a platform.
We come back often to a memory from Michael’s childhood. When he was about six years old, his parents took him to the local Savings & Loan and opened him a passbook account. A few dollars. A rubber stamp. He’d go back, deposit a quarter, and watch the balance grow.
It sounds like a small thing. But for him, it wasn’t. It sparked a lifelong curiosity about how money works, about companies, and about the idea that a dollar saved today becomes something more tomorrow. It changed how he thought about the future.
Researchers at Washington University’s Center for Social Development have studied children’s investment accounts for two decades. One finding from their landmark SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment kept standing out: the account starts affecting decisions long before anyone spends the money. Children with accounts were more likely to complete higher education and build long-term economic assets – and that effect held across income levels and racial groups. Think about what it means for a ten-year-old in a household that has never owned a stock, a bond, or a retirement account to see their name on something that’s growing. A thousand dollars invested at birth, left alone for eighteen years at historical market returns, compounds into something genuinely meaningful. What’s harder to measure – but just as real – is what ownership does to a child’s sense of what’s possible.
One of the wonderful things about these accounts is that they cover every American child. We are blessed to live in a country in which we have many ways to invest in our children. Some have asked whether these are the best accounts available. For those families who can take advantage of multiple options, they should certainly plan their investments thoughtfully, with these new investment accounts being a part of the plan.
But it’s important to remember that for many of the children we’re trying to reach, the choice isn’t between an Invest America account and an alternative investment account. It’s between an Invest America account and nothing.
That isn’t a close call. That’s why we committed $250 for 25 million children who aren’t covered by the federal program. We wanted the first deposit to be meaningful enough that families could see the opportunity from day one.
Today, millions of children already have accounts. Over the coming weeks and months, millions more will open theirs. Every American child is eligible, please claim their account. This opportunity is too important to leave on the table.
As America marks its 250th birthday, we’re reminded that the country’s greatest strength has always been its people. A child who grows up owning even a small piece of the American economy doesn’t just benefit from its growth – they start to see themselves as someone who shapes it. That shift in expectations, multiplied across millions of children, is what we’re really investing in.
To sign up or learn more about the program: TrumpAccounts.gov ↗ · Our commitment ↗
Michael and Susan Dell
Founders, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation