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usaa bank | youth accounts

Set your children up
for financial success

Help your child learn to manage money with a checking account.

Key Benefits:

  • No monthly service fees
  • Fraud monitoring and zero liabilitySee note see note 1
  • Alerts on account activity and balancesSee note see note 3
  • Personal debit card
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Teach your children good financial habits with a savings account.

Key Benefits:

  • No monthly service fees
  • Free savings toolsSee note see note 4
  • Secure online access
  • Personal ATM card
Get started

Give your children a financial head start

  • Digital convenience

    • Access via the USAA Mobile App, plus digital wallet options like Apple Pay® and Google Pay®
    • Real-world access to a network of 100,000+ preferred ATMsSee note see note 2

  • Manage funds and spending

    • Alerts about your child's account status including spending limits or low balanceSee note see note 3
    • Digitally transfer money across accounts for your child to access
    • Parental controls to restrict or enable account features

  • Easy to get and maintain

    • No minimum age requirement
    • No monthly service fees
    • Apply and open with as little as $25

  • Safety and security

    • Money in your child's checking or savings account is automatically insured up to FDIC limits
    • Zero-liabilitySee note see note 1 debit card or ATM card
Get started

Guidance and tips

Is a youth bank account safe?

Youth bank accounts can be a great way to teach valuable lessons. But it's important to choose an account that comes with security features. USAA Youth Spending accounts have features to help parents monitor activity by controlling spending limits, access to make deposits and transfers, fraud monitoring and the ability to lock/unlock cards that are misplaced...

Money lessons for every age

Whether your kids are early age or in elementary, middle school or high school, money is always an important topic, but having a different approach for each stage makes all the difference. Find ways to relate to your child at every stage of growing up...

Money-saving tips for families

Financial education isn't always taught in school, so children look to the adults at home to set the example. Be open and talk about how money is used and the importance of budgeting and saving...

Frequently asked questions

You must be the child's parent or legal guardian to open and manage an account. As the joint account holder, you'll be able to set up account alerts, parental controls, online access and more.

No. Your child must be younger than 18, but there's no minimum age. A USAA Youth Spending or USAA Youth Savings account requires a parent or legal guardian who's 18 years or older to be the joint account holder. When the child turns 13, the parent or legal guardian can give them secure access to account services on usaa.com and the USAA Mobile App.

After your child turns 13, you can set up parental controls. This gives your child limited digital access so they can:

  • View account balances.
  • Transfer money.
  • Use .

To set up or change parental controls, you'll need to:

  • Log on to usaa.com.
  • Select the joint account you want to change.
  • Choose "parental controls" in the menu sidebar.

Yes. Other people can deposit money into the account. If they're transferring money electronically, they'll need the account number and routing number.

When your child turns 18, their USAA Youth Spending account will automatically convert to a USAA Classic Checking account, and their USAA Youth Savings account will automatically convert to a USAA Savings account.

After they turn 18, the account could be closed if you haven't provided proof of identification documents for your minor joint account holder on the youth account. To comply with the USA PATRIOT Act, USAA Bank must verify the ID of all account holders. You can securely submit the following documents to us on our document portal:

  • Social Security card.
  • Government-issued ID.
  • Proof of physical address.

Now's the time to start your kids off right financially

Get started

1 You are not liable for unauthorized use of a debit card that you report to us. "Unauthorized use" means the use of a debit card by someone other than you without actual authority to use the debit card and from which you receive no benefit. It does not include use of a debit card (1) by a person who was furnished the debit card by you unless you notified us that transfers by that person are no longer authorized or (2) with fraudulent intent by you or any person acting in concert with you.

2 When you use a non-USAA Bank ATM outside of our preferred network, you may incur surcharge, usage, or other fees charged by the ATM operator or network. We refund up to $10 per monthly statement cycle in non-USAA Bank ATM surcharge or usage fees for transactions made at non-USAA Bank ATMs. 1% Foreign Transactions Fee may apply. See the Account and Service Fee Schedule for details.

3 Your phone carrier's data charges may apply.

4 To take full advantage of Savings Tools, you need to have a USAA Federal Savings Bank checking and savings account.

5 Eligibility for USAA Deposit@MobileSee note® will be based on your account history with USAA Federal Savings Bank. Deposits may not be available for immediate withdrawal. USAA's Deposit@MobileSee note® and related Deposit@HomeSee note® includes innovative features that are protected by multiple patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A listing of issued Patents, intending to serve as notice under 35 U.S.C. § 287(a), may be found at United States Patents.

Apple PaySee note® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

Google Pay is a trademark of Google LLC.

Use of the term "member" or "membership" refers to membership in USAA Membership Services and does not convey any legal or ownership rights in USAA. Restrictions apply and are subject to change.

"USAA Bank" means USAA Federal Savings Bank.

Deposit products and services offered by USAA Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC.

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Is a youth bank account safe?

Youth bank accounts can be a great way to teach valuable lessons. But it's important to choose an account that comes with security features. USAA Youth Spending accounts have features to help parents monitor activity by controlling spending limits, access to make deposits and transfers, fraud monitoring and the ability to lock/unlock cards that are misplaced.

Child identity theft — it's a thing

Scammers unfortunately are out there — and when it comes to picking and choosing targets for identity, cybercriminals do not exclude kids. Whether you're an adult or a child, you could be at risk, and in the case of your child, it could take even longer to realize there might be a problem.

How to spot the red flags

Some of the warning signs of fraudulent activity are bills addressed to your child, denial of government benefits, preapproved credit cards in your child's name or if your child applies to student loans and is denied for poor credit history. If you suspect something, check to see if a credit report in their name exists. If so, notify the Federal Trade Commission or place a security freeze on their credit report.

Steps to help protect your child's identity

To stay protected, it's important to keep Social Security Numbers and sensitive information secure. You'll want to pay attention to online activities and ask questions. It's also good to understand privacy policies and be mindful of oversharing your information. Educating yourself helps both you and your child stay aware of the potential risks and vulnerabilities of the financial system.

Money lessons for every age

Whether your kids are early age or in elementary, middle school or high school, money is always an important topic, but having a different approach for each stage makes all the difference. Find ways to relate to your child at every stage of growing up

Early age — Start with the basic building blocks — try incorporating counting and using a toy bank into playtime sessions.

Elementary — Many parents build a foundation for money lessons by establishing chores and allowances, reinforcing the idea that money needs to be earned, not given.

Middle school — At this stage, it's a good time for a first-time banking experience. Start with a USAA Youth Spending Account or USAA Youth Savings Account. With parental controls, you can give your teen financial freedom as well as guardrails to help them along the way.

Older teens — Now is the time to talk about savings goals for the long and short terms, account features like direct deposits and automatic transfers are tools to help teens achieve financial success.

Aim high to save better

As kids grow up, their financial goals should get bigger too. It's good to have your children save up for something big before they leave the house. Maybe it's a trip or an expensive tech device. USAA Youth Spending and USAA Youth Savings accounts are great ways to set up your children for financial independence and create opportunities to learn.

Stay consistent

Being a parent is tough, and it's okay to know you're not always going to get it right. Allowing your kids to make their own decisions and their own mistakes can also be helpful lessons. The key is to keep the lessons consistent; with that, you'll give them advice they can trust and a strong foundation on which to build their future financial independence.

Money-saving tips for families

Financial education isn't always taught in school, so children look to the adults at home to set the example. Be open and talk about how money is used and the importance of budgeting and saving.

Why is saving money important?

Saving money is important because it helps you reach your short-term and long-term goals. It's important to help children understand the difference between needs and wants. Creating these good habits now will help them as adults when their long-term goals are an emergency fund, buying a home or saving for retirement.

Saving money starts with positive reinforcement

Create rewards for saving and smart financial decisions. Encouraging wanted behavior and acknowledging achievements is often more effective than giving unwanted behavior attention with punishment or criticism. That's tried and true for lots of things — including building great money habits.

How to get your kids started

Having a savings account for your children also helps give them valuable hands-on experience. USAA Youth Savings account is designed specifically to help children get banking experience and learn how to manage their money.