How Family Can Give Money to a Kid's Investment Account (2026)

Grandparents and other relatives can usually give straight into a child's existing account, even one at a different bank or brokerage from their own. The easiest routes are a 529 plan's gift link, a deposit or stock transfer into a custodial account, or a gift link inside a kids' money app.

Which one works depends on where the child's account already lives. Ask the parent first, because each route needs something different from them.

The ways family can give, side by side

How do you give to a child's 529 plan?

Most 529 plans let the account owner share a gift link or code, and anyone can use it to contribute without logging into the account. Many state plans use a service called Ugift, where the giver enters the code and pays by bank transfer or mails a check.

Fidelity-managed plans have their own college gifting page that the owner shares as a link. Some states also offer 529 gift cards, such as Pennsylvania's PA 529 gift cards. A check made out to the plan with the account number works almost everywhere. The 529 guide covers how the account itself works.

How do you add money to a custodial brokerage account?

A custodial brokerage account, called a UTMA or UGMA, accepts money from anyone, but the custodian usually has to set up the path. The simplest version is a check payable to the brokerage, with the child's account number on it.

Some brokerages now have gift links. Robinhood's custodial accounts, for example, give the custodian a link that family can use without their own Robinhood account, sending cash, stocks or ETFs. Every deposit becomes the child's property for good, as how UTMAs work explains.

Can family give stock instead of cash?

Yes, if the child has a custodial brokerage account to receive it. The giver's brokerage will need the receiving firm, the account number and the account's exact registration, which the parent can find on a statement.

The shares keep the giver's original cost basis, so a stock bought for $20 and given at $100 still carries the $20 basis. Stockpile, a stock-gifting app, closed in April 2026 and moved its accounts to other firms. See how to gift stock to a child and gifting appreciated stock for the tax side.

What if the child's savings account is at a different bank?

A check made out to the account owner, or to the custodian for the child, is the simplest gift and works at any bank. Online transfers between two banks usually need the receiving account's routing and account numbers, and some banks only allow transfers to accounts the sender has linked and verified.

So the parent may need to share those numbers, or the grandparent may need to add the child's account as an external account first. The kids' savings account comparison shows how custodial and joint accounts differ.

Which kids' apps let family send money?

Several kids' apps have a gift feature, but the money doesn't always end up invested. Greenlight gives each child a pay link and offers Greenlight Gift for occasions, and senders need a U.S. billing address. That money goes to the child's Greenlight balance.

Acorns Early lets parents share a link so anyone can contribute to a child's Early Invest account, which is a custodial account. Before sending an app's gift link to relatives, check the subscription cost and where the money lands. The kids' apps comparison sorts out how these apps differ.

Do gifts to a child's account count for gift tax?

They're gifts, but for most families no tax is owed. In 2026 each person can give up to $19,000 per child with no gift-tax filing, so two grandparents can give $38,000 together.

Going above that usually means filing Form 709, which uses part of a large lifetime exemption rather than costing tax. A 529 also lets a giver spread a larger gift over five years. The details are in gift tax and custodial accounts.

How do grandparent gifts show up on the FAFSA?

It depends on whose account the money lands in. Money in a parent-owned 529 counts as a parent asset, assessed at about 5.64% at most. Money in a UTMA counts as the student's asset, assessed at 20%.

A 529 owned by the grandparent isn't reported on the FAFSA at all, though the CSS Profile used by some private colleges asks about it. See grandparent 529s and the new FAFSA.

Seeing what the gift turns into

Gifts often disappear into an account nobody looks at. When a child's accounts are connected in MemoryBank, the family can see the growth their contributions added to, in one view built for the child. A MemoryBank subscription can also be given on its own as a gift plan.

What MemoryBank does not do

MemoryBank doesn't move money into anyone's account, and a gift plan pays only for the subscription. MemoryBank is not a brokerage. It cannot receive, keep or transfer securities.

Features are as each provider described them in October 2026 and can change; confirm current terms with the plan, bank or app. MemoryBank isn't affiliated with any provider named here and doesn't recommend one. For tax or financial-aid questions, talk with a tax professional or financial advisor.

Frequently asked questions

How can grandparents contribute to a grandchild's 529 plan?

Most 529 plans let the account owner share a gift link or code, often through a service called Ugift, so a grandparent can contribute by bank transfer or check without logging into the account. A check made out to the plan with the account number also works.

Can grandparents put money in a child's savings account at a different bank?

Yes. A check is the simplest way and works at any bank. An online transfer usually needs the receiving account's routing and account numbers, and some banks require the sender to link and verify the account first.

What apps let family gift money to a child's investment account?

Some 529 plans offer gift links, Robinhood's custodial accounts have a gift link that accepts cash, stocks or ETFs, and Acorns Early lets family contribute to a child's Early Invest account. Greenlight has a pay link and Greenlight Gift, which land in the child's Greenlight balance. Stockpile closed in April 2026.

Do grandparents pay gift tax on money they give a grandchild?

Usually not. In 2026 each grandparent can give up to $19,000 per grandchild with no gift-tax filing. Larger gifts typically mean filing Form 709 and using part of a large lifetime exemption, not paying tax.

Does a grandparent's gift hurt financial aid?

It depends on where it goes. A gift into a parent-owned 529 counts as a parent asset on the FAFSA, and a gift into a UTMA counts as the student's asset. A grandparent-owned 529 isn't reported on the FAFSA, though the CSS Profile may ask about it.

Can I send money to my grandchild through MemoryBank?

No. MemoryBank doesn't move money. It shows a child's connected accounts in one view, and its gift plan pays for a MemoryBank subscription, not a deposit. MemoryBank is not a brokerage. It cannot receive, keep or transfer securities.

What to do next

1. Ask the parent which accounts the child already has and where they are.
2. Ask for the 529 gift link, or how the custodian prefers to receive checks or stock.
3. Keep yearly gifts per child in mind if you're giving a large amount.