Nanci Hellmich

USA TODAY

If you have a baby today in the U.S., your newborn is eligible for a free $500 mutual fund investment from Voya Financial (VOYA), formerly known as ING U.S.

The company is offering this to the babies "as a head start toward their future retirement savings," says Ann Glover, chief marketing officer for Voya Financial. The program, called Voya Born to Save, is being launched as part of National Save for Retirement Week, she says.

Say what? Already? They just arrived and are still getting used to diapers.

The program is "a reminder that it's never too early to start saving for retirement," Glover says. "Any contribution to retirement savings at any age, no matter how big or how small, is a step in the right direction."

On average, more than 10,000 babies are born each day in the U.S., Glover says. The company is prepared to provide the gift to every baby born today in this country, but parents or guardians of eligible newborns must register for the offer at voya.com/borntosave by Dec. 19.

They need to fill out the appropriate paperwork and follow the directions for providing proof of the child's birth, Glover says. She says there are no hidden conditions to the offer.

Can parents take the money out early for diapers or college tuition?

"You can remove the funds, but we are ever hopeful that people will leave the money in there as a head start for their child's retirement," Glover says.

She believes this program "will get people's attention. We think that achieving financial security is one of the biggest challenges our country faces, and this campaign is an opportunity to get people thinking differently about how they can improve their retirement readiness."

What will the company do next to draw attention to this issue?

"Stay tuned," Glover says.