I have been dissatisfied with most of the articles that I have read about what I call Rothing, i.e. foregoing a deduction for retirement savings with the prospect of tax-free distributions in the future or taking the tax hit on a deferred account to convert it to a tax-free account. The articles generally have a pro-Roth bias. Suze Orman, for example, swears by Roths. They also tend to not have numbers in them. What I am going to do here is to reflect on the idea of Rothing and discuss what I see as some key numbers. I’m not going to dive deep into technical issues.
Trump Accounts Are Live. Are They Spectacular?
Amber Gray-Fenner, EA NTPI Fellow USTCP
Trump Accounts (or § 530A accounts) went live via app on July 4, 2026. According to the Treasury Department, over six million accounts have been opened. As of Monday, July 6, 2026, parents and guardians of account beneficiaries could use the app to view their children’s accounts, fund the accounts, and access balances and financial education information. The Treasury Department designated BNY Mellon “as a financial agent of the U.S. government to support implementation of the new Trump Accounts program.” BNY, in partnership with Treasury, will manage the accounts and help to develop the app taxpayers can use to manage their accounts. Robinhood Securities, LLC is acting as the initial trustee and brokerage for the accounts.
