Families in Las Vegas are weighing whether to sign up for Trump Accounts, the new child investment program that launched July 6 when President Donald Trump rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange from the Oval Office. The program, created by Congress as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, offers a new way to invest in children’s futures — and Nevada families could benefit significantly.
The accounts function similarly to retirement accounts, but instead of preparing adults for their senior years, they help children build assets for the start of their adult lives. Any American citizen under age 18 can have an account. The money is invested in an index fund that broadly tracks the stock market, and once the child turns 18, they can access the funds for education, buying a house, or other purposes (with a tax penalty for non-qualified withdrawals), according to NPR.
For Las Vegas families, the most compelling reason to sign up is the federal seed money. Children born between 2025 and the end of 2028 will automatically receive a $1,000 seed contribution from the federal government. Financial planner Michael Reynolds, with Indiana’s Elevation Financial, calculated for NPR that even without any additional investments, that $1,000 would become almost $4,000 by the time a child turns 18, assuming an 8% rate of return.
In a city where the median household income trails the national average and where many families work in service-sector jobs with limited retirement benefits, that kind of head start can be meaningful. Ray Boshara, a senior policy advisor at the Aspen Institute, told NPR that lower-income families will primarily benefit from having a “digital donation bucket” that can accrue contributions. “These accounts will be transformative for them,” Boshara said.
The accounts allow contributions from multiple sources: families, philanthropists, employers, and the government. Contributions from family members are made in after-tax dollars, while contributions from employers or the government are pre-tax. The child pays tax only on the investment growth upon withdrawal.
For children born before the 2025-2028 window, there are still opportunities. Millions of children under age 11 will receive $250 from a more than $6.25 billion donation by Michael and Susan Dell of Dell Technologies, NPR reported. To qualify, families must live in zip codes where the median family income is under $150,000 — a threshold that many Las Vegas neighborhoods, particularly in North Las Vegas and parts of the east valley, would meet.
Several major companies are also offering contributions. Micron, the memory chip maker, is giving $250 to up to a million children living near its worksites in states including Nevada. Mastercard, Uber, and Visa are offering to match employee donations. While Las Vegas is not a major corporate headquarters city, the prevalence of hospitality and gaming companies with employee benefit programs means some local workers may see employer matches become available.
However, financial advisors caution families to consider their overall financial picture before prioritizing Trump Accounts. Carrie Joy Grimes, CEO of the nonprofit personal finance company WorkMoney, told NPR that parents should max out their own retirement accounts before putting money away for their kids. “What happens is we put money into our kids’ stuff, and then we end up needing help in retirement — and that is a way worse financial stress on our kids,” Grimes said.
Families should also consider 529 education savings plans, which allow tax-free withdrawals for education expenses. Unlike Trump Accounts, 529 plan funds are restricted to education, but they offer tax advantages that the new accounts do not. Financial advisors say families can use both — Trump Accounts as a general investment vehicle and 529 plans specifically for education savings.
For Las Vegas families, the decision also intersects with the city’s unique economic characteristics. Many hospitality workers lack access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, making self-directed savings even more critical. The gig economy, which employs a significant share of Las Vegas workers, typically does not offer retirement benefits. Trump Accounts, with their low barrier to entry and multiple contribution sources, could help fill that gap for the next generation.
The program also raises broader questions about wealth-building in Nevada, a state with a relatively high poverty rate and limited social safety nets. By creating a universal investment account for children, the federal government is essentially acknowledging that existing savings vehicles have not been sufficient to build wealth for lower- and middle-income families. Whether Trump Accounts will succeed where other programs have fallen short depends on participation rates, contribution levels, and the long-term performance of the stock market.
For now, Las Vegas families with children should at minimum sign up to claim the federal seed money, advisors say. As Luke Delorme, a financial planner at Tableaux Wealth, told NPR: “We’re going to try it out. Maybe it’ll fit into their financial picture in the future in some meaningful way.” For a city that knows a thing or two about taking calculated risks, the Trump Account may be one bet worth placing.
