The National Personal Finance Challenge
The Competition to Make You Financially Savvy
The National Personal Finance Challenge is a competition that provides high school students with an exciting and motivating opportunity to build, apply, and demonstrate their knowledge of money management.
Through online exams and a personal finance case study, teams showcase their expertise in earning income, spending, saving, managing credit, investing, and managing risk.
Teams of 3 or 4 students, with one coach, can qualify to represent their state at the National Personal Finance Challenge by winning their local competition. National Finals are in-person in June 2027. Registration will open in January 2027.
CASH PRIZES for each member of the winning teams:
1st place $2,000
2nd place $1,000
3rd place $500
4th place $250
Interested in Participating?
Complete the form below to receive updates as registration opens.
Students will learn about:
Earning Income
How it’s generated and how factors such as taxes, interest rates, and inflation impact income.
Spending
Buying goods and services by examining personal budgets, expenses, and income.
Saving
Analyzing compound interest and financial institutions and services.
Managing Credit
Credit reports, credit scores, and decision-making through consumer credit.
Investing
Various investment instruments, including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Students will also understand the concepts of risk and return and time horizon.
Managing Risk
Different types of insurance and vigilance against common scams and identity theft.
Are you smarter than a National Personal Finance Challenge finalist?
Finalists in CEE’s NPFC answered 20 rapid-fire questions on topics ranging from mortgage discount points to 401(k) matches. The Wall Street Journal turned the final round into two quizzes. See how your money smarts stack up:
Investing in Student Teams and Their Futures
The Council for Economic Education offers free resources for teachers and NPFC team coaches to ensure that the kids in their communities develop a solid understanding of the six core knowledge areas of personal finance. The online NPFC Toolkit includes engaging lessons, activities, instructive videos, quizzes and family scenario case studies to ensure that students are equipped not only to compete in the NPFC—but also to take control of their financial futures.
