A new federal retirement-savings program informally known as the “Trump IRA” is set to go live in 2027, and it could be a meaningful boost for workers who have never had easy access to a workplace retirement plan. The accounts are designed to be simple, low-cost, and — for lower earners — sweetened with money from the federal government.

If you’re retired, semi-retired, or helping an adult child or grandchild get on track, here are the seven things our editorial team thinks are most worth understanding before the program opens.

1. There’s a $1,000 government match on the table

The headline feature is a government matching contribution worth up to $1,000 a year. It works through the federal Saver’s Match program, which is scheduled to begin in 2027 and provides a 50% match on the first $2,000 a qualifying saver contributes annually. In other words, put in $2,000 and the government adds $1,000 on top — a guaranteed 50% return before your investments earn a cent.