Trump Account contributions to get boost from new employer rules

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service have moved to give advisors more clarity around Trump Accounts with a slate of new proposed regulations around employer contributions within the federal government's much-touted retirement savings program.

Under the proposals issued this week, employers would be able to contribute up to $2,500 a year, tax-free, to the Trump Account of an employee's child, giving financial advisors a new workplace benefit to factor into family savings conversations.

The proposed regulations provide guidance to employers that choose to make contributions to Trump Accounts – otherwise known as 530A accounts – for employees or their dependents, while also clarifying nondiscrimination requirements for employers offering Trump Account contribution programs.

“The proposed regulations will provide a framework for businesses establishing a Trump Account contribution program, a new benefit for American working families,” IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said in a written statement.

Read more: IRS chief Bisignano to lead next phase of Trump Account rollout

The latest guidance also opens a second funding channel. According to Treasury, the department's announcement could allow parents to make pretax contributions to a child's Trump Account directly from their paycheck, with more companies also committing to matching contributions for their employees. That pairs a potential employer match with an employee-funded payroll deduction, giving advisors two separate levers to talk over with working parents.

A Trump Account contribution program must meet several conditions to qualify under the latest proposals. Generally, it must be set up as a separate written plan of an employer for the exclusive benefit of employees, provide for contributions to the Trump Accounts of employees or their dependents, and satisfy various requirements, including nondiscrimination requirements. Those nondiscrimination rules mean eligibility, contributions and benefits cannot favor highly compensated employees or their dependents over the broader workforce.

For Erin Koeppel, managing director of Government Relations and Public Policy Counsel at CFP Board, the proposals "are a helpful first step" that still doesn't go far enough.

"Employers – particularly small businesses – will need more practical guidance before they can confidently offer this benefit in 2027," Koeppel told InvestmentNews in an email.

She also pointed to lingering uncertainty around the statutory 0.10% fee cap that's been declared for Trump Accounts. Treasury has clarified that contributions in the accounts would be invested in low-cost ETFs, but that still leaves an open question around "whether the statutory [cap] applies at the individual fund level or the account level."

Treasury said as of Tuesday, more than 50 companies have committed to Trump Account contributions for their employees, according to CNBC, with some offering to match the government's $1,000 seed money. The ones that have publicly raised their hand with matching commitments include Robinhood, Schwab, BlackRock, Bank of New York and Franklin Templeton.

Melissa Elbert, a partner of wealth solutions at benefits consultant Aon, told CNBC the clearer framework should widen adoption: "We saw early adoptions, and I think many more are considering it, and this guidance is going to help."

That said, employer appetite has so far trailed the political rollout. A Mercer poll of nearly 350 U.S. employers in April found that only about 4% of companies expected to implement a Trump Account contribution program in 2026 or 2027, while two-thirds had decided not to make contributions at all.

Christopher Gandy, president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, said the proposed regulations are helpful to NAIFA members who work with employers with cafeteria plans and establishing savings vehicles for children.

"By minimizing compliance burdens for employers, the proposed regulations make widespread adoption of Trump account contribution programs, including programs that permit pre-tax contributions through a cafeteria plan, more likely," Gandy said in an emailed statement to InvestmentNews.

He added that the notes on comparison of after-tax future value will be helpful for advisors discussiing options with parents.

"Pre-tax contributions to Trump accounts will not be universally better for families than contributions to section 529 accounts, but they are competitive," Gandy said. "Financial professionals can help families understand these accounts, navigate this new opportunity, and incorporate them into long-term financial planning."

Read more: More than a quarter of moms are planning to opt out of Trump accounts, survey finds

Treasury and the IRS have scheduled a public hearing on the proposal for Oct. 15. Oral comments are due by Oct. 13, and written comments will be accepted through Sept. 25, after which both critics and supporters will have to hold their peace.

The employer-contribution guidance lands on top of a longer list of unresolved issues advisors flagged before the accounts even launched on July 4.

Judson Meinhart, director of financial planning at Modera Wealth Management's national advisory practice, said the tone among advisors has been measured rather than enthusiastic, since Trump Accounts don't have an absolute edge over 529 plans, custodial accounts or Roth IRAs. On a technical note, he pointed to questions around how pre-18 contributions, or basis, will ultimately be tracked once the account converts to IRA rules, and whether any conversion path to a Roth IRA will exist.

"Until those are clearly defined, it's difficult to move from 'interesting' to 'absolutely, yes,'" he said in a previous interview with InvestmentNews.