Trump Accounts Calculator

How to use the Trump Account calculator

What this calculator does

This calculator estimates the value of a child's account when the child reaches age 18. It compounds a starting balance and a beginning-of-year contribution at one of three illustrative return rates, then separates the ending value into deposits and investment growth. The optional inflation adjustment converts each future year's cash flow into today's purchasing power. The result is a planning estimate, not a promise of market performance, tax treatment, eligibility, or account availability.

When to use it

Use it to compare starting the account for a newborn versus an older child, test how much regular family contributions matter, compare optimistic, conservative, and pessimistic market assumptions, or contrast a large nominal future balance with its inflation-adjusted purchasing power.

How to calculate

1. The calculator opens with a complete demonstration: age 0, a $1,000 starting balance, a $5,000 annual contribution, and the 10.51% optimistic return scenario. The example workbook is ready immediately.
2. Replace the demonstration values with your own assumptions. Results update live; no Calculate button is needed.
3. Select a different Return scenario to stress-test the projection. Select Adjust for inflation and enter an Annual inflation rate to show today-dollar purchasing power.
4. Read the projected balance, deposits, growth, growth share, and yearly schedule. Choose Download Excel to export the current validated model.
5. Reset clears the demonstration and all calculated content. Download Excel is then disabled until a complete valid state is entered again.

Input guide

Child's starting age is required as a whole number from 0 through 17; 0 represents a newborn. A higher age shortens the contribution and compounding period. Do not enter a birth year or a decimal age. Starting balance is required in U.S. dollars and may be zero or more; $1,000 is a realistic example. It compounds for every remaining year, so a larger starting balance raises both the ending balance and growth. Annual contribution is required in dollars from $0 through $5,000; the example uses $5,000. It is treated as a beginning-of-year deposit. Entering a monthly amount here would overstate the projection.

Return scenario is required and selects 10.51%, 7.00%, or 4.00% annually. Higher rates create a larger result, but the rates are illustrations rather than forecasts. Adjust for inflation is optional. When selected, Annual inflation rate becomes required from 0% through 25%; 4.34% is a reasonable example for scenario testing. Inflation does not change the nominal investment path; it discounts each cash flow to today's dollars. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics explains how the Consumer Price Index measures purchasing-power changes.

Output guide

Projected balance at age 18 is the estimated ending value in dollars. Total contributed equals the annual family deposits, excluding the starting balance, matching the reference-style breakdown. Accrued growth is the projected balance minus annual deposits; therefore it includes both earnings and the starting balance. Growth share shows accrued growth as a percentage of the ending balance. Annual return used confirms the selected scenario. The summary pills show years remaining, return rate, and the modeled annual contribution limit. The balance breakdown repeats contributions and growth from the same canonical model.

The Year-by-year projection table lists the child's age, opening balance, contribution, annual growth, and ending balance. A zero growth row is possible when the return rate is zero, while a shorter schedule appears for an older child. These are estimates produced by the selected assumptions, not recommendations.

Worked example

For the startup example, the child is age 0, the starting balance is $1,000, the annual contribution is $5,000, and the return is 10.51%. There are 18 contribution years. Each year, the contribution is added first and the resulting balance earns 10.51%. The model produces a projected balance of $271,154. Annual family deposits total $90,000, and the remaining $181,154 is labeled accrued growth under this calculator's breakdown convention. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's compound interest guidance provides additional context on how time and return assumptions interact.