Children’s Savings Accounts

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The Case for Creating a Lifelong Savings Platform at Birth as a Foundation for a “Save-and-Invest” Economy

December 7, 2009

Reid Cramer

David Newville

A growing chorus, including President Obama, now believes that a prosperous future for our country will depend on the creation of a save-and-invest economy that will enable all Americans to accumulate savings and assets. While in the short-term, public investment should be expanded in order to stabilize the economy, any long-term plan for sustainable economic growth will have to involve increased household savings over an extended time horizon. One promising approach to that goal is children’s savings accounts (CSAs), which would be established at birth for every American.

This paper makes the case for establishing a universal system of children’s savings accounts (CSAs) in the United States. It provides a brief overview of the essential components of a CSA and how they would work, and the rationale and evidence for a CSAs plan.

To read the policy paper, click here, or on the Related Files link to the right.

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Children's Savings Accounts: The Case for Creating a Lifelong Savings Platform at Birth