Does Your Child Have $250 Already Set Aside for Them? (Part 2)
My first post about Trump accounts was targeted to the parents of children born between 2025-2028.
This post is for parents of kids between roughly 2 and 10 years old (born 2016 to 2024).
Although these children are not eligible for the U.S. Treasury’s $1,000 seed money, there’s still a chance that they are eligible for the $250 initial deposit from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
The Dell Foundation's $250 — And Why It Matters for Rural Families
Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion to fund Trump Accounts for children who missed the federal pilot window. If your child was born between 2016 and 2024 and your family lives in a ZIP code where the median family household income is $117,300 or less (as of October 9, 2026) your child qualifies.
I know $250 doesn't sound life-changing. But here's how I think about it as both a parent and an advisor: it's not about the $250 today, it's about what the $250 becomes over 50 years. That's the magic of starting early.
Below is an illustration of an initial investment of $250 followed by monthly contributions of $20 (that is $240 every year) over 50 years, growing at 8% interest. You end up with a tidy sum of $172,104 dollars.
The Bigger Idea
Using a geographic threshold based on the median household income is deliberately broad. There might be families in that zip code whose personal household income is higher than $117,500. But I can see why the Dell Foundation chose this shorthand. There’s no complicated tax return or application to review, just the simplicity of census data and social security numbers.
Even without any grant money, I think opening a Trump Account for your young child is worth serious consideration — and here's why. Not every child goes to college. Whether your child becomes a doctor, a plumber, a business owner, or something we haven't invented yet, this account grows for their retirement regardless.
You're not making a bet on their future path. You're giving them a head start on life. You are giving them 'skin in the game' for future savings.
How to Get Started
Good news! The Treasury department has already enrolled eligible children into the program and the $250 seed money is waiting. You just need to claim your child’s account.
Check your ZIP code eligibility at https://investamerica.org/check-dell-250-eligibility/
Visit TrumpAccounts.gov or download the Trump Account app.
Complete the steps to claim and activate the account.
The annual contribution limit is generous (up to $5,000) and who can contribute is broad. It includes parents, non-profits, employers of parents, grandparents, friends, etc.
My Honest Advice
I genuinely wish I could go back and open one of these for my own kids when they were your children's ages. The combination of free grant money, tax-deferred growth, and the flexibility of not being tied to a college outcome makes this extremely attractive.
Don't overthink it. Check your eligibility, claim your child’s account, and decide later how much you want to contribute annually.
The hardest part is just getting started.
