April 2024
Challenge

Financial Literacy Month National Challenge!

Budget Game

Budget Game

Stock Game

Stock Game

Tutorials

Tutorials

How does the Challenge Work?

Registration is not required for teachers with a paid site license. Students using PersonalFinanceLab will be invited to join the challenge through a pop-up when signing in.

If students choose to participate, the National Challenge becomes available while playing the Stock Game or Budget Game, in addition to their regular class. They can switch between the National Challenge and their class anytime. Participating students can earn badges in the National Challenge, which will also apply to their class! They will also have the chance to win prizes.

Any other teachers at your school or district can participate in the challenge, free-of-charge! If there is anyone you know that might be interested, please send them this link with all the details of the challenge.

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Financial Literacy
Challenge

April 2 to May 3, 2024

Registration is now open!

Regional Prizes

Student Prizes

Prizes Total of

$1,500
$1,500

The top 3 students from both the Budget Game and Stock Game in each region will each win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Plus, the top 3 overall winners for each game win an additional $50 Gift Card!

Teacher Prizes

Prizes Total of

$300
$300

3 teachers will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Students can nominate their teacher, and we’ll pick 3 lucky winners who will each get a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Plus a free PersonalFinanceLab site license for 100 students for one year.


Northeast Region

Students will be eligible for the Northeast Regional Prize if they are from one of the following states:

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Canada
  • International

Midwest Region

Students will be eligible for the Midwest Regional Prize if they are from one of the following states:

  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • South Dakota
  • Wisconsin

South Region

Students will be eligible for the South Regional Prize if they are from one of the following states:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Washington, D.C.
  • West Virginia

West Region

Students will be eligible for the West Regional Prize if they are from one of the following states:

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

What’s Included?

Budget Game

Students practice managing a monthly budget, and building their emergency savings fund while learning how to make responsible money management decisions.

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Stock Game

Students practice managing a virtual portfolio of US stocks, bonds and mutual funds. With live rankings, research tools, and real-time prices.

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Tutorials & Lessons

80+ self-graded personal finance lessons and financial literacy tutorial videos. Teachers can track student progress and grades.

Learn more

What are the Rules?

  • Trading is open from April 2 to May 3, 2024.
  • Students may trade US stocks and ETFs, and US mutual funds, and bonds.
  • Students manage a $10,000 virtual portfolio.
  • To help students learn to continually invest, we will deposit an extra $1,000 every Monday morning to mimic regular savings or retirement contributions.
  • For prize purposes, rankings in the Stock Game are based on total portfolio percentage return. So students who start late and miss a weekly deposit are not at a disadvantage.
  • There is a $5 minimum price for all stocks.
  • Students may short sell and buy on margin.
  • Students may day trade.
  • Students must make a minimum of 10 trades in the Stock Game to qualify for prizes.
  • Students may only invest 25% of their portfolio in any one security.
  • Each student is allowed only one entry.
  • Students can play the Budget Game from April 2nd to May 3rd, 2024
  • The game includes 12 months of gameplay where students manage their bills and expenses
  • They start as students with part-time jobs, and after 6 months graduate and take on full-time jobs
  • Students earn the most amount of points for meeting their monthly savings goals

PersonalFinanceLab Certificate of Completion

Students taking part in the Financial Literacy Challenge also have access to over 80 supplemental lessons on personal finance topics.

These lessons are available from when a student is registered until the end of May. Completing all lessons is NOT a requirement to be eligible for prizes.

However, each student who completes all supplemental lessons by May 31, 2024 will earn the PersonalFinanceLab Certificate of Completion. Students can downloaded their certificate from their student dashboard as a PDF.

These lessons cover topics across:

  • Budgeting, Saving, and Spending
  • Managing Credit
  • Income and Taxes
  • Risk and Financial Decision Making
  • Investing