Why the gap is bigger than it looks
The dollar gap between two contribution levels doesn't just add up year over year — it compounds year over year, the same way the contributions themselves do. Contributing $3,000 more a year isn't "$3,000 × 18 years = $54,000 more" by the time a child turns 18; every one of those extra dollars has been sitting in the market earning its own returns, so the true gap runs meaningfully higher.
How to use this responsibly
This calculator is built to show upside, which makes it easy to talk yourself into stretching further than makes sense. Before increasing a contribution, the honest order of operations most financial planners recommend is: an emergency fund, paying down high-interest debt, capturing any employer retirement match you're leaving on the table, then funding a child's accounts. A Trump Account seeded at $1,000 and left alone, or funded modestly, still benefits enormously from time — see the seed growth calculator for what the starter deposit alone can become.
Frequently asked
How much difference does the Trump Account contribution amount really make?
More than the raw dollar gap suggests. Contributing $5,000 instead of $2,000 a year from birth means $54,000 more out of pocket by 18 — but at a 7% return, that extra money compounds into roughly $102,000 more in the account, nearly double what was actually put in.
Is it worth stretching to contribute the maximum?
That depends entirely on your household budget and other priorities like emergency savings, higher-interest debt, and your own retirement accounts. This calculator shows the upside of contributing more so you can weigh it against those competing needs — it isn't a recommendation to prioritize this account over them.