The nation’s top teens go head to head over stocks, bonds, managing credit, budgeting, and more!
NEW YORK, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — 34 teams from 28 states make up the nation’s most financially savvy high school students. The Council for Economic Education, a national nonprofit on a mission to equip K–12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics, is hosting the 14th annual National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) where those top teams will compete on June 1-2 in Atlanta to become the 2025 National Personal Finance champions.
Qualifying teams have successfully outmaneuvered their peers in answering complex questions about saving, investing, stocks, bonds, retirement planning, managing credit, and more. Competing teams at the NPFC create a financial plan for a fictional family scenario, with top scorers moving on to compete in a Quiz Bowl where the winning team is crowned the champion.
“These state champions are paving the way as our nation’s most financially savvy young minds. They are setting the standard for personal financial education,” says CEE Interim CEO Christopher Caltabiano. “The knowledge, discipline, and real-world confidence they’ve gained through competing in the National Personal Finance Challenge will empower them for a lifetime of smart financial decisions and success.”
Covering the six core knowledge areas of personal finance, students collaborate in teams to tackle real-world financial scenarios. Students make recommendations to help the family achieve their financial goals and prepare a presentation to persuade a panel of judges, fostering knowledge, critical thinking, and communication skills, all crucial for their future success.
Research has long documented the association between financial literacy and successful real-life financial decision-making, including planning for retirement, financial resilience, less debt, acceptance of federal student loans over higher-cost loan options, and decreased likelihood of holding credit card balances.
This year, nearly 17,500 high schoolers from across the country competed in the school-level round of the NPFC. This year’s competing teams include six from CEE’s Access Zone program that promotes financial education in Title I schools nationwide. Last year, 31% of participants identified as Black and Hispanic, communities often with less access to personal finance education. CEE is committed to the belief that financial knowledge is for everyone.
The National Finals will be held at VOYA’s headquarters in Atlanta, GA on June 1-2, 2025. Winning teams will gain national recognition and take away cash prizes: $2,000 per team member and coach for 1st place, $1,000 per team member and coach for 2nd place, $500 per team member and coach for 3rd place, and $250 per team member and coach for 4th place. Students, educators, and parents can visit www.councilforeconed.org for more information.
