Custodial Accounts in Glide
Last updated: June 13, 2026
Overview
In Glide, Custodial Accounts are a standalone membership type. They appear on the "Choose Your Membership Type" screen (/account), listed directly below Minor membership. Glide supports custodial accounts on both the dashboard and member flow. The custodial application closely mirrors the minor flow, with a set of targeted differences that reflect the custodian relationship, the records sent to the core, and the access rules after the account is open.
What is a custodial account?
A custodial account is an account that an adult opens and manages on behalf of a minor. The minor is the beneficial owner of the funds, but an adult (the custodian) controls the account and makes all decisions on it until the minor reaches the age of majority in their state. At that point, control of the account transfers from the custodian to the (former) minor.
Custodial accounts are commonly used by parents, grandparents, and guardians to save or hold assets for a child. In the United States they are usually established under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA), which is why a custodial account is sometimes referred to as a UTMA or UGMA account.
Key characteristics:
The minor owns the funds. Money placed in a custodial account legally belongs to the minor.
The custodian controls the account. One adult is named as custodian and is responsible for managing the account in the minor's interest.
Control transfers at the age of majority. When the minor reaches the qualifying age, they take over the account. Glide does not support converting accounts at a certain age through the platform.
Single custodian, no joint owners or beneficiaries. A custodial account has one minor and one custodian. It does not support adding joint owners or beneficiaries.
How custodial accounts differ from minor (youth) accounts
Minor accounts (often called youth accounts) and custodial accounts both involve a young person, so they are easy to confuse. The difference is in who owns and controls the account and how it is structured.
Topic | Minor / Youth account | Custodial account |
|---|---|---|
Primary owner | The minor | The minor |
Who controls the account | Shared with adult joint owner(s) | A single named custodian |
Additional adults | Adult joint owners can be added on the onboarding page | No joint owners allowed |
Other minors | Other youth cannot be added as joint owners | Not applicable |
Beneficiaries | Allowed (depending on configuration) | Not allowed |
Legal framework | Standard youth membership | UTMA / UGMA custodial relationship |
Glide's custodial application journey
1. Selecting the membership type
On the "Choose Your Membership Type" screen (/account), the applicant selects Custodial Account, which is listed directly below Minor membership as its own standalone option.
2. Collecting custodian (adult) information
The adult on the account is captured as the custodian. The flow collects:
Email address (the custodian's email is used for the account and for online access setup)
Occupation
Backup withholding confirmation (checkbox)
3. Collecting minor information
The flow then collects the minor's details:
First name and last name
Date of birth
Address
Identity document and eligibility confirmation
Two important differences from the standard minor flow appear here:
No minor email field. The minor's email is not collected in the custodial flow. The custodian's email is used instead for online access setup.
4. Review and sign
Before submitting, the applicant reviews their application summary and the required agreements.
The adult is shown with the role Custodian (not "joint owner") on the review page, dashboard, and onboarding page.
Validation confirms that all required fields are complete before the application can be submitted.
5. Approval
Custodial applications can follow the same or distinct auto approval rules as other membership types.
Key differences from the Minor workflow
If you already know the standard minor/youth workflow, these are the custodial-specific behaviors to be aware of:
Application flow
Custodial Account is its own standalone membership type, shown on the "Choose Your Membership Type" screen below Minor membership.
The same or different share products can be set up to appear in the custodial account workflow.
The adult is captured and labeled as Custodian everywhere it appears (dashboard, review page, onboarding page), not as a joint owner.
The minor's email field is removed; the custodian's email is used for online access.
Access and onboarding after the account opens
The minor is the primary owner but cannot access the onboarding portal.
The adult custodian can access the onboarding portal.
Joint owners and beneficiaries cannot be added to a custodial account. The "Add a Joint Owner" and "Add a Beneficiary" options are hidden.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the money in a custodial account? The minor. The custodian manages the account, but the funds belong to the minor.
Can two adults be custodians on the same account? No. A custodial account has a single custodian. Joint owners cannot be added.
Can I add a beneficiary to a custodial account? No. Beneficiaries are not supported on custodial accounts.
Why can't the minor log in to the onboarding portal? Access is controlled by role. The custodian is the person authorized to complete onboarding, so portal access is granted to the adult custodian rather than the minor.
What happens when the minor grows up? Control of a custodial account transfers to the minor when they reach the age of majority. Glide does not offer automatic conversion of accounts.