money

How and When to Start a Custodial Roth IRA for Kids

David Monforton
David Monforton 3 Min Read
Grandmother, mother and child sit together smiling, looking at a tablet

Planning for a child’s financial future is an important part of parenthood. Leveraging the right tools for capital growth and appreciation can help to create a nest egg for college, homeownership and long-term financial stability.

One of the most common savings tools parents can use is the custodial Roth individual retirement account, better known as a custodial Roth IRA, which is designed to grow money tax free. By thinking ahead, parents can help their children understand and appreciate personal finance fundamentals and set the next generation up for long-term savings success.

How the custodial Roth IRA works

The Roth IRA is one of the most popular ways to save for retirement. You can withdraw the money you’ve invested without tax penalty at any point, and once you’re 59 ½ years old, assuming you’ve had the account for at least five years, you can withdraw the earnings tax free. And another bonus of the Roth IRA is that there are no required minimum distributions.

The custodial Roth IRA works the same way, but the parent remains the owner of the account until the child is 18 or 21 years old, depending on which age your state defines as the beginning of adulthood. Once the child reaches adult age, the account converts to a regular IRA, and they are in charge of managing the funds.


A young min loads fresh vegetables onto displays in produce section of grocery store

Eligibility requirements

Although a child of any age (there’s no minimum age) can contribute to a custodial Roth IRA, there is an eligibility requirement: The child must earn income—and pay taxes on the money.

Of course, the older the child, the more likely they’ll be ready for income-earning opportunities, but there are instances in which very young children, even infants, can make money via modeling or endorsements.

So, if your child is into babysitting, dog walking, mowing lawns, washing windows, or musical gigs, or has a job where they lifeguard, tutor, or work in retail or at a fast-food restaurant, they can contribute to the IRA and take an active role in their own retirement planning.


A teen girl and toddler sit on green sofa and color together

Annual contribution limits

Children can contribute up to a certain amount per year to a custodial Roth IRA (the limit in 2023 was $6,500). If they earn more than the limit, they can invest that additional amount in a certificate of deposit, savings account or another financial tool. (The IRA contribution limit may change from year to year, so check with a financial advisor.)

Withdrawals and distributions

Because Roth IRAs are designed to be long-term investments, it’s best to let the money grow until you’ve reached retirement age. However, because the money invested in the Roth IRA has already been taxed (remember, the investment is from after-tax income), you can withdraw your contributions at any time without a fee or penalty.

If you want to withdraw the account’s earnings (the amount of money earned from interest or dividends), you’ll have to wait until you’re 59½ years old and have had the account open for five years or more. At that time, you can enjoy penalty-free withdrawals. 

Other retirement planning options

While Roth IRAs are preferred for their after-tax benefits, traditional IRAs are preferred for pre-tax advantages. So, while your contributions to a Roth IRA are made after paying taxes on the money you‘re investing, the opposite is true with a traditional IRA: You’re taxed on your contributions when you withdraw the money.

There are other investment options parents can use to help save for their children’s future, including:

  • High-yield savings accounts: These accounts typically require a minimum opening deposit and have a low ongoing minimum balance. They’ll offer an interest rate, but it’s typically not as high as the rate you’ll find with a money market account or a certificate of deposit. Many of these accounts also have a monthly maintenance fee.
  • Money market accounts: These accounts typically require a minimum opening deposit and an ongoing minimum balance that’s higher than what you’d find with a savings account. However, money market accounts also have fluctuating interest rates that are usually higher than those offered with savings accounts. With a money market account, as long as the minimum balance is maintained, there’s no monthly fee and the funds can be accessed anytime.
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs): CDs have a minimum funding amount, a finite term (usually six months or longer) and a set interest rate. The longer the term, the higher the interest rate, and rates are usually higher than those offered with savings and money market accounts. The funds aren’t liquid until the end of the term.

Next steps: Talk with your financial advisor 

When you think about saving for the future, one of the most important variables to consider is growth potential, which means asking, “How much can I grow my money?” Each type of investment tool has its own advantages, so finding the one that aligns with your financial goals is key to longevity and success.

AAA Banking advisors are available to help you plan for your family’s financial future with a custodial IRA, savings account, money market account or CD. And to streamline the process, AAA makes it a snap to apply for, set up and manage your accounts online.

With financial tools like a custodial Roth IRA, you can help your children set the foundation for smart money management that will guide them throughout their lives

Get financially fit

Connect with a financial professional today

Whether you’re saving for yourself or teaching the basics to your children, AAA is here to help you grow your investments.

Learn more

Banking Disclosure

This information is being provided for general informational purposes only. The Auto Club Group does not assume any liability in connection with providing this information.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

We may change APRs, fees, and other Account terms in the future based on your experience with ACG Card Services and its affiliates as provided under the Cardmember Agreement and applicable law.

1Cash back can be redeemed in the form of a statement credit or ACH deposit ($25 cash back minimum redemption). Cash back is not earned on business related transactions or activities. You may not redeem cash back, and you will immediately lose all of your cash back, if your account is closed to future transactions (including, but not limited to, due to Program misuse, failure to pay, bankruptcy, or death). Cash back will expire at 11:00 p.m. Central Time on the last day of the calendar quarter that is five (5) years from the date on which they are earned. Account must be open and in good standing to earn and redeem rewards and benefits. Upon approval, please refer to your Cardmember Agreement for additional information. Cash back is earned on eligible net purchases. Net purchases are purchases minus credits and returns. Not all transactions are eligible to earn cash back, such as Advances, Balance Transfers, and Convenience Checks and other advance transactions as defined in the Cardmember Agreement, as well as interest charges and fees do not qualify. U.S. Bank cannot control how merchants classify their business or transactions and reserves the right to determine which Purchases will qualify in which category. Earn 2% per dollar for qualifying net purchases made with the card through any participating AAA Club when AAA is the merchant of record, on qualifying net insurance purchases (MCC = 6300) and at eligible retail travel merchants. AAA Clubs located in Northern California, Nevada and Utah are not participating AAA Clubs and purchases made at those clubs will not qualify for 2%. Earn 4% per dollar for qualifying net purchases on AAA purchases, travel and insurance for your first 6 months up to $6,000. After that, earn cash back in the standard 2% category. Foreign Transaction Fee: None.

2 Benefits are subject to terms, conditions, and limitations on the amount of coverage. Travel and Emergency Assistance Services help in coordinating medical, legal and travel services while away from home. Rental Collision Damage Waiver coverage and peace of mind for damage due to collision or theft of most rental cars. Certain terms and conditions apply. Please refer to your Visa Guide to Benefits for details

The Contactless Symbol and Contactless Indicator are trademarks owned by and used with the permission of EMVCo, LLC.

This card is issued by U.S. Bank NA dba ACG Card Services, pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender

†Annual Percentage Rate (APR). Auto Loans. Rates and terms effective as of 3/7/2025. APR is accurate as of 3/7/2025. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without prior notice. Additional terms and restrictions may apply. Other loan rates available. Subject to borrower qualification. Advertised rate includes a 0.25% discount when you set up automatic payments from any checking or savings account. Rate is variable. Offer valid on personal vehicle loans only. Criteria to receive the stated APR: Loan term 48 months or less new or used, model years 2019 – 2025 with a credit score of 720 or higher based on the Vantage scoring model. Buyer is responsible for all state or local fees. AAA Banking uses a managed credit program, and final APR is dependent on your credit score. An auto loan with an APR of 5.24% for a $20,000 loan at a term of 48 months, your estimated monthly payment would be $463. An auto loan with an APR of 5.49% for a $20,000 loan at a term of 48 months, your estimated payment would be $465. Private party sales will not be financed. Auto loans are offered by Grasshopper Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

 

††Annual Percentage Rate (APR). RV Loans. Rates and terms effective as of 3/7/2025. APR is accurate as of 3/7/2025. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without prior notice. Additional terms and restrictions may apply. Other loan rates available. Subject to borrower qualification. Advertised rate includes a 0.25% discount when you set up automatic payments from any checking or savings account. Rate is variable. Criteria to receive the stated APR : Loan term 48 months or less, $5,000 minimum loan amount, model years 2023-2025, with a credit score of 720 or higher based on the Vantage scoring model. Buyer is responsible for all state or local fees. AAA Banking uses a managed credit program, and final APR is dependent on your credit score. An RV loan with an APR of 7.49% for a $35,000 loan at a term of 48 months, your estimated monthly payment would be $846. An RV loan with an APR of 7.74% for a $35,000 loan at a term of 48 months, your estimated monthly payment would be $850. RV loans are offered by Grasshopper Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

 

§ Auto Loan Calculator

 

The figures entered on the input page of this calculator are for hypothetical purposes only. You should enter figures that are appropriate to your individual situation. The results provided by this calculator are also intended for illustrative purposes only and accuracy is not guaranteed. This calculator is not intended to offer any tax, legal, financial or investment advice and does not assure the availability of or your eligibility for any specific product offered, nor does this calculator predict or guarantee the actual results of any product. The terms and conditions of products offered will differ and may affect the results of the calculator. Please consult with qualified professionals to discuss your situation. The final APR may differ from the APR in the above results due to additional fees that may be applicable.

 

3Triple Advantage Savings Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 4/1/2025. The minimum amount to open an account is $100.00. Triple Advantage Savings Account Holders can earn the following Annual Percentage Yield (APY): 3.50% APY with Eligible AAA Membership and 3.15% APY without eligible AAA membership.* Deposit products are offered by Grasshopper Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

 

4Triple Advantage Savings account holders with a monthly average balance of $25,000.00 or greater receive free outgoing domestic wire transfers. Triple Advantage Savings account holders with a monthly average balance of $24,999.99 or less will be charged a $10 fee for each domestic outgoing wire transfer.

 

5Triple Advantage Certificate of Deposit (CD) Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 4/14/2025. The minimum deposit to open an account is $500. 4.25% APY applies to a 6-month CD with balances of $500.00 and up. 4.20% APY applies to a 9-month CD with balances of $500.00 and up. 4.10% APY applies to a 12-month CD with balances of $500.00 and up. 3.95% APY applies to an 18-month CD with balances of $500.00 and up. 3.75% APY applies to a 24-month CD with balances of $500.00 and up. 3.50% APY applies to a 36, 48, and 60-month CD with balances of $500.00 and up. CDs are opened and interest begins on the day the funding deposit is received. The interest rate and APY are fixed for the term of the CD. The APY assumes interest remains on deposit until maturity. Withdrawal of interest before maturity will reduce earnings. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Fees may reduce earnings on the account. Deposit products are offered by Grasshopper Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

 

 

Early Withdrawal Penalties

 

An early withdrawal penalty will apply if you withdraw funds before the maturity date. For terms of 6 to 12 months, the penalty is 90 days of interest. For terms of 13 to 60 months, the penalty is 180 days of interest. In accordance with Regulation D, a minimum penalty of 7 days’ simple interest will apply to withdrawals made within 6 days of deposit or within 6 days of a previous withdrawal.

 

6Triple Advantage Checking Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 4/1/2025. The minimum amount to open an account is $100.00. Triple Advantage Checking Account Holders can earn the following Annual Percentage Yield (APY): 1.00% APY with eligible AAA membership and 0.75% APY without eligible AAA membership.* Deposit products are offered by Grasshopper Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

 

7Cash Back rewards offer 1.00% cash back on all qualified purchases made by eligible Triple Advantage Checking account holders with an eligible AAA membership.* To qualify for cash back, Triple Advantage Checking account holders must meet all requirements and a transaction must be deemed as a qualified purchase.

 

Qualified purchases are signature-based purchases made with a AAA Banking debit card from a Triple Advantage Checking Account. To make a signature-based purchase, select “credit” rather than debit at point-of-sale kiosks. The “credit” option is most often pre-selected when making purchases online using a debit card. Online subscription payments may not be considered signature-based purchases. The payment transaction type (signature-based or other) is ultimately decided by the merchant and how the transaction is transmitted to AAA Banking at the time of processing. AAA Banking reserves the right to determine if a transaction was a qualified purchase, and to establish additional types of qualified purchases that could be made available in a variety of ways. Any goods or services purchased with the debit card that are returned or otherwise credited to the account are not qualified purchases. Unlawful purchases and purchases of currency, cash or cash equivalents (including, without limitation, currency from the U.S. Mint, travelers cheques, gift cards, cryptocurrency, casino chips, peer-to-peer payments, prepaid debit cards, account openings, loan payments, or other cash equivalents) made with a debit card are not qualified purchases. Documentation may be required to validate that certain purchases are qualified purchases. If you or AAA Banking closes the account for any reason before the end of the statement cycle, you will forfeit all rewards accrued through your linked debit card during that statement cycle. The AAA Banking Visa® debit card is issued by Grasshopper Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa is accepted.

 

Important Tax Information

 

The value of this reward may constitute taxable income and may be reported to the Internal Revenue Service as miscellaneous income to the first signer on the account, in the year received, as required by applicable law. Offer is limited to clients who are citizens of the United States that furnish or have a valid Form W-9 on file and the account must not be subject to backup withholding.You may be issued an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) to you that reflects the value of such reward. Please consult your tax adviser, as AAA Banking does not provide tax advice.

 

*Eligible AAA Membership Definition: you must be a "Basic," "Plus," or "Premier" member of AAA - The Auto Club Group (ACG). ACG serves households in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Applicants must be 18+ and a U.S. resident. Other AAA memberships are not eligible.

 

AAA-Member Verification & Product Eligibility

 

By applying for a AAA Banking deposit account, you acknowledge and agree that if you select a AAA-member product, your AAA membership status with Auto Club Group (ACG) will be validated at the time of account opening and periodically thereafter. If your AAA membership cannot be validated or your membership status changes, your account may be moved to a non-member product with different terms, including but not limited to a lower Annual Percentage Yield (APY) and the removal of other AAA member-only benefits. If this occurs, you will receive a notification regarding the change in the product and applicable terms. If you believe your AAA Membership status was incorrectly validated or that you have been placed in the incorrect product, please contact us to review and correct your status.

Products are offered by Grasshopper Bank, N.A.. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender.

Member FDIC