The Social Security Administration (SSA) has changed how it issues Social Security cards for newborns, adding new information that is meant to help parents claim and manage their children's Trump Accounts.
The agency announced on October 20 that parents who request a Social Security number for a newborn through its Enumeration At Birth (EAB) program will now receive an insert about Trump Accounts alongside the child's Social Security card. The insert contains “straight-forward instructions” on how to claim an account using the official Trump Accounts app.
The change is designed to connect parents with the government-backed accounts shortly after their child's birth and explain how eligible children can receive a one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury.
What Are Trump Accounts?
Trump Accounts are a new type of tax-advantaged individual retirement account created for children. A child is eligible for a Trump Account if they have a valid Social Security number and are under 18 when the account is set up, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The program also includes a federal pilot contribution for a more limited group of children. The Treasury provides a one-time $1,000 contribution for eligible U.S. citizen children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, who have a valid Social Security number and have been elected to receive the government contribution by a parent or guardian.
The IRS notes that parents, relatives, and friends can contribute up to $5,000 a year to a Trump Account, while employers can also contribute up to $2,500, which counts toward the $5,000 annual limit. The annual contribution limits may increase with inflation after 2027.
Trump Account funds must generally be invested in approved funds that track major U.S. stock indexes. Withdrawals are generally not allowed until the year the child turns 18, after which the account is treated as a traditional IRA.
What’s Changed?
The latest update concerns how parents learn about and access the accounts.
The SSA's EAB program already allows parents to request a Social Security number for their baby as part of the birth-registration process. State vital-statistics offices transmit the child's registration information electronically to the SSA, which assigns a Social Security number and mails the card.
Now, the SSA is working with the Treasury Department to include a Trump Account information insert with Social Security cards mailed to newborns through that process.
The insert directs parents and guardians to TrumpAccounts.gov, where they can access the official app, and tells them to look for Treasury communications concerning activation and the $1,000 contribution where applicable. It also explains that additional contributions can be made within the program's limits.
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"Social Security is providing families with the tools to get started right away on this generational opportunity to build a strong financial foundation for their children's future," SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in the agency's announcement.
What Does the Change Mean for Parents?
The change doesn’t expand eligibility for Trump Accounts or the $1,000 federal contribution. Instead, it creates a more direct way of informing new parents about the program at the same time their baby receives a Social Security number and card.
The IRS says that, beginning October 1, 2026, the Treasury secretary automatically enrolled eligible children in Trump Accounts. Parents whose children were automatically enrolled don’t need to submit Form 4547 to establish the account, but they still need to claim and activate it to manage it.
Parents also have to elect to receive the $1,000 contribution if their child qualifies for it. That election can be made through the Trump Accounts app or website, or through an IRS Individual Online Account using Form 4547.
Newsweek has contacted the SSA for comment.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Paul Donnelley.