Falcons team named personal finance champs
The Scripps Ranch High School team of four was crowned the 2025 National Personal Finance Champions, beating 18,000 other students in school and state rounds, including more than 30 teams of the nation’s most financially savvy teens at nationals on June 2.
The Scripps Ranch High School team included Robert Schumann, Ryan Langsam Williams, Ben Wolff and Caleb Lee.
After discovering the competition online themselves, they recruited their history teacher to sign them up. Ian Rasmuson was their coach and chaperoned them to the competition.
The 14th annual National Personal Finance Challenge, a program of the Council for Economic Education, was held in Atlanta. The competing teams represented 28 different states.
Considered the “spelling bee” of personal finance, what these teens know about personal finance is mindblowing. To win, the Scripps Ranch High School team members, who were essentially self-taught and motivated by a passion for the topic, had to outmaneuver their peers on complex questions about saving, investing, stocks, bonds, retirement planning, managing credit and more.
The Council for Economic Education (CEE), a national nonprofit on a mission to equip K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics, held the 14th annual National Personal Finance Challenge (NPFC) at Voya Financial’s headquarters.
These teens put their knowledge to the test, answering complex questions about saving, investing, stocks, bonds, retirement planning, managing credit, and more. After creating a financial plan for a fictional family, the top scorers competed in a quiz bowl in which the winning team was crowned champion.
“We are thrilled to have welcomed students from across the country to the 2025 National Personal Finance Challenge. This competition is more than just a showcase of financial knowledge, it’s a celebration of the life skills these young people are building for their futures,” said CEE interim CEO Christopher Caltabiano. “At a time when financial literacy is more important than ever, these students are proving they’re ready to take on the real world with confidence, responsibility, and a strong foundation for success.”
Covering the six core knowledge areas of personal finance, students collaborated in teams to tackle real-world financial scenarios. 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.
Winning teams took away cash prizes: $2,000 per team member and coach for first place, $1,000 per team member and coach for second place, $500 per team member and coach for third place, and $250 per team member and coach for fourth place. Students, educators and parents can visit www.councilforeconed.org for more information.