Originally published in the Stock Savvy Dad newsletter on April 28, 2026.

Sometimes the best financial advice comes from an unexpected conversation.

Back in 2023 I was talking with a financial influencer I respected and he said something that stuck with me. Open custodial accounts for your kids. I did a little research that same day and by the end of it the accounts were open.

That’s it. It takes 10 minutes and it’s absolutely worth it.

A custodial account is simply an investment account you open and manage on behalf of your child. You control it until they reach adulthood. Everything you put in and everything it earns belongs to them.

If you want a fuller breakdown of how they work and why I think they’re one of the best tools for building generational wealth for your kids, I wrote about it here: The Best Way to Build Generational Wealth for Kids? A Custodial Account​

For the investments I kept it simple. VOO as the foundation because I wanted something I could trust to grow over time without having to manage it constantly. And Nvidia because my daughters are young enough that I wanted at least one position with real upside potential. The time horizon is long, take advantage of it. That’s the greatest benefit of starting early.

The way I manage their accounts mirrors how I manage my own portfolio. I add to VOO consistently and keep some cash ready to deploy when I see a position I like at the right price.

I’ll be honest though. I haven’t been on top of it as much as I’d like recently. Building Stock Savvy Dad has taken most of my focus and the accounts have taken a back seat. That’s something I’m working on getting back to.

My daughters know there’s money put away for them. But they don’t fully understand what it means yet. That part is coming. For now I’m just making sure the foundation is there before the conversation fully lands.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to open a custodial account for your kids, this is me telling you there is no perfect time. There’s just today.

The best thing I did wasn’t picking the right stock. It was opening the account.

— Stock Savvy Dad
​Invest smarter, build wealth, be a savvy dad.