Bringing education to life – Student Investor Challenge kicks off

October marks the launch of The London Institute of Banking & Finance’s annual Student Investor Challenge which sees tens of thousands of students from schools and colleges around the country compete in teams, trading virtual shares for a chance to compete at the live final in London. In last year’s competition over 37,000 students took part.

Catherine Winter, Head of Financial Capability at The London Institute of Banking & Finance, says:

“The Student Investor Challenge is a fantastic competition, not only helping young people develop a range of skills that will stand them in good stead for life but also helping them put theories learned in school into real context.

“It helps young people put their maths and economics knowledge to work, engage with the finance sector and understand more about how it works. It also improves financial capability and helps them to develop important soft skills such as teamwork and communication. And it’s fun of course!”

The first phase of the competition will run until 24 January 2020. Registration closes on 15 November. Schools can enter multiple teams, with each team made up of four students.

The competition is free to enter and doesn’t require classroom time.

The top 500 teams – those that make the most profit in phase one – progress to the semi-final to compete for a place in the live final. There are some exciting prizes to be won, including a trip to New York for the winners!

Student Investor 2019/20

• The Student Investor Challenge is designed for students aged 14-19. 
• Teams from schools and colleges around the UK compete against each other by trading two virtual portfolios worth £100,000. Students are challenged to make both long-term and short-term trades, encouraging both day-to-day and strategic thinking.
• Teams have until 15 November to register and start trading. Entry is free.
• The first phase of the competition will run until 24 January 2020. The top 500 teams will progress to the semi-finals which take place from 17 February to 13 March 2020.
• In the semi-finals, the top 500 teams battle it out over four weeks in our stock predictor challenge. The top eight teams make it to the grand final in London.
• In the final teams undertake more trading challenges and deliver a presentation to a panel of financial experts to demonstrate their knowledge of investing and macro-economics, and how they could be applied to individuals with different investment objectives. 
• First prize is an all-expenses-paid trip to New York, plus spending money. The prize includes a trip to the New York Stock Exchange, which is not usually open to the public.