Center for Social Development

Trump Accounts hold significant promise, but only if families can navigate the complex enrollment process.

The current design could leave out millions of children, who would miss out not only on their account and the federal deposit, but also on employer matches, philanthropic contributions, and other general contributions to Trump Accounts.

A new brief from CSD and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department outlines how states can work with the federal government to administer the accounts so that they will be accessible children eligible for them: https://csd.wustl.edu/26-44/

In representing the International Consortium for Social Development at the United Nations, CSD International Director Li Zou will liaison with the NGO Committee for Social Development, bringing perspectives to planning for the UN Commission for Social Development's 65th session ( ).

More from Newsroom: https://source.washu.edu/2026/07/zou-to-represent-international-consortium-for-social-development-at-united-nations/

NGO CSocD

Zou to represent International Consortium for Social Development at United Nations Li Zou, international director at the WashU Brown School's Center for Social Development, has been appointed to represent the International Consortium for Social Development at the United Nations.

As some U.S. families consider Trump Accounts and others get ready to send young adults off for , National College Attainment Network's Elizabeth Morgan highlights new evidence from CSD's experiment showing that early wealth-building policy can reduce some barriers to enrollment in education beyond high school.

"Among the first 150 SEED OK newborns—now young adults graduated from high school—who accessed their SEED OK funds in 2025 to enter postsecondary study, there was no significant variation in race/ethnicity, poverty status, mother’s education, or language spoken at home," Morgan writes. "In the common parlance of postsecondary access and success, this initiative has 'closed the gaps' for these students from different family incomes, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and levels of parental education attainment."

Read more at NCAN: https://www.ncan.org/Web/News/Leading-Child-Savings-Account-Initiative-Finds-Early-Success-in-Achieving-Postsecondary-Enrollment.aspx

CSD Co-Director Jin Huang delivered a keynote address today at "Financial Social Work in the Process of Social Governance Modernization: Institutional Building, Service Innovation, and International Dialogue," a convening hosted by the Research Institute of Social Development at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

Financial social work is a rapidly growing part of the profession in China. Dr. Huang's address speaks to why it is critical for to possess the and required to guide the communities they serve.

To learn more about the growth of , check out the editorial Huang wrote with Faculty Directors Deng Suo and Shu Fang to introduce the new special issue of the China Journal of Social Work:
"Financial Social Work in China: Foundations, Frontiers, and Global Connections," by Jin Huang, Suo Deng, & Shu Fang
China Journal of Social Work
https://doi.org/10.1080/17525098.2026.2683386

Data for Social Impact's new playbook offers practical lessons for organizations interested in strengthening community data capacity. At its core, this work is about using data in ways that are collaborative, responsive, and accountable to community outcomes. The playbook shares lessons from St. Louis and highlights DSI's approach.

Explore the playbook: https://csd.wustl.edu/26-39/

Kazakhstan’s National Fund for Children shows how can be transformed into .

In a new study, CSD’s Aytakin Huseynli, known for her policy work in Eurasia, examines the national policy's early design and implementation and its potential to support education, housing, and long-term investments in future generations.

Explore the study:
"From Sovereign Wealth Fund to National Fund for Children: Natural Resource Wealth Redistribution and Social Policy Innovation in Kazakhstan," by Aytakin Huseynli.
Journal of Sustainable Development Issues
https://doi.org/10.62433/josdi.v4i1.72

Asked about ways to strengthen , Research Director Stephen Roll spoke with USA TODAY's Medora Lee about growing the trust fund by eliminating to support higher income and for working households.

'It's the economy, stupid' may solve Social Security woes, experts say Social Security faces insolvency by 2032. Some experts say boosting the economy is the best antidote for Social Security's woes.

A new project at CSD seeks to shape the future of wealth-building policy for children and families.

Led by Research Director Stephen Roll and CSD Co-Director Jin Huang with generous support from Prudential Financial, the project seeks to advance effective, scalable, and sustainable early wealth-building strategies with particular attention to the needs of low-income, low-asset, and economically marginalized families. CSD researchers will assess current early wealth-building programs, policies, and initiatives, examine their features against established design principles, and develop practical tools to help policymakers design more effective options for the future.

The work builds on CSD’s long-standing leadership in research and policy on asset-building strategies.

Read the full story from WashU Newsroom: https://source.washu.edu/2026/08/washu-researchers-launch-next-phase-of-wealth-building-research/

WashU researchers launch next phase of wealth-building research Researchers at the Center for Social Development in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis are launching a new initiative to help shape the future of wealth-building policy in the United States, with a focus on giving children stronger financial foundations that can last a lifetime.

At Newsroom, read about new research by CSD's Stephen Roll and Mathieu Despard showing how public can trap low-wage workers—discouraging raises, hours, savings, and advancement. A gradual phaseout, they note, could better support work and family stability.

Washington University in St. Louis

Public benefits ‘cliffs’ can trap low-wage workers, study finds New research from Washington University in St. Louis argues that policymakers should enact gradual cutoffs for public benefits such as food assistance or healthcare. The change could help both families and employers by allowing low-wage workers to earn more without losing critical support systems.

CSD's Jin Huang recently spoke with Trevor Sikes at Tax Notes about S. 5243. Filed by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, the new bill would automatically open Trump Accounts for newborns when their parents complete the birth-registration process to request a Social Security number. As Huang noted, CSD’s research on policies in Oklahoma, Maine, and elsewhere shows that automatic enrollment will ensure that eligible kids receive accounts.

Read the story to explore the new proposal and what our research says about the effectiveness of automatic enrollment: https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-notes-today-federal/benefits-and-pensions/senate-bill-aims-auto-enroll-newborns-trump-accounts/2026/08/07/7wjkk