Meristem Resource Center

• Financial Planning

Trump Child Savings Accounts Imitate And Innovate

Trump Child Savings Accounts Imitate And Innovate Carrie Brandon Elliot, Contributor March 9, 2026 According to an official U.S. government website , “Trump Accounts Jumpstart the American Dream.” In a press release, Treasury called them “the defining policy of America’s 250th anniversary.” But how revolutionary are Trump accounts? Child savings accounts have precedent in the United States as well as other countries. They typically have favorable tax treatment and are sometimes partly funded by government contributions. Tax-favored accounts for education expenses are not unusual — the United States, Canada, and other countries offer them. General-purpose child savings accounts, from which the beneficiary receives the funds at adulthood and can use them for any purpose, are more unusual but are offered