If you have a child that was born between January 1, 2025, and December 2028, should you turn down free money for your kid, because you don’t like the name on the account?
For many in the Black community, the “Trump” brand is a political lightning rod. When the administration announced the 530A “Trump Accounts,” many had an instinctive, swift “no.” We have decades of reasons to be wary of gifts bearing that particular signature.
However, as we navigate 2026, we must ask a painful question: Is political protest worth leaving our children’s inheritance on the table?
The math of compound interest and money doesn’t care about your politics. If your child was born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, the government is offering a $1,000 seed deposit. Ignoring this isn’t just making a point; it’s opting out of an 18-year head start on compound interest. Even without further contributions, that $1,000 invested in a standard index fund could grow into a significant foundation by the time a child reaches adulthood.
With only the initial government contribution of $1,000, an 18-year-old account would reach $2,577 with a 5.4% return, $5,839 with a 10.3% return, and $21,229 with an 18.5% return. But families can add to it and it makes a fine graduation gift on your child’s 18th birthday.
Critics correctly argue these accounts don’t fix systemic inequality. Families who can max out the $5,000 annual limit will inevitably pull further ahead. But for the individual Black family, this isn’t about solving national macroeconomics—it’s about the survival and success of the next generation. We have historically been locked out of the stock market; to voluntarily lock ourselves out of a program utilizing federal and corporate dollars is a self-inflicted wound.
Think of it as reclaiming your own resources. These accounts are funded by tax dollars—your tax dollars. Refusing to open one doesn’t hurt the administration; it simply ensures your share of public wealth goes elsewhere. By filing IRS Form 4547, you aren’t joining a movement; you are acting as a savvy custodian of your child’s future.
We can continue to fight for systemic justice while simultaneously using every tool currently on the workbench. Our children deserve every cent of that $1,000 seed and every bit of the market’s growth. The accounts may carry a politician’s name, but the wealth they build will be entirely yours.
