Welcome to the Financial Literacy Youth Competition!
Registration for the 2026 Financial Literacy Competition is now open until Sunday November 6 at 11:59pm ET!
The competition takes place yearly. The 2025 registration will open September 9, 2025.
Who
The Financial Literacy Youth Competition runs across Canada for students in Grade 5 – 12.
Students in Grades 5 & 6 compete in the Primary competition, students in Grades 7 & 8 compete in the Elementary competition, students in Grades 9 & 10 compete in the Junior competition and students in Grades 11 & 12 compete in the Senior competition.
What
Students are provided with real life scenarios that address topics such as income, expenses, investments and financial planning and are given 3 days to prepare and submit their solutions.
Why
To develop fundamental life skills – with fun.
When
Hosted in November over a three-day period. The competition takes place between Wednesday November 11th at 12:00 am ET – Friday November 13th at 11:59 pm ET 2026.
How
Registration
The registration form for the competition can be found here. The form must be filled out, signed and emailed to publicaffairs_affairespubliques@cffim.ca before Sunday November 6 at 11:59pm ET.
Competition Structure:
Submission
Students are required to type up their solution or financial plan and submit the report electronically (Word Document or PDF) to CFFiM via email.
Format
Students will have 3-days to complete and send their submission. These submissions should be kept between 500 – 1,000 words total.
Delivery
Competition scenarios for each age group will be available on the CFFiM website on this page when the competition begins.
Content Guidelines:
Topics
The CFFiM Financial Literacy Competition is an annual nationwide competition that encourages students in Canada to creatively demonstrate their understanding of personal finance. Students are given practical real-world scenarios that address topics such as income, expenses, risk management, and financial planning.
Awards and Recognition
All eligible participants will receive a Certificate of Achievement, and the top-performing students (first at each level) will be awarded prizes. To be eligible for certificates and prizes, students must attempt and respond to all the competition questions and agree to the integrity requirements of the competition.
Our 2026 Judges:
| Wayne Bolton | Strategic Advisor at CFFiM and Former Principal at Edward Jones | |
| Justin Chung | Real Estate Investment Executive, Founder of Etho Partners and Founder of Money Dad Podcast | Website |
| Clifton Corbin | Financial Literacy Advocate, Author, and Speaker | Website |
| David Delisle | Speaker & Author of The Awesome Stuff | Website |
| Martin Guest | Strategic Advisor at CFFiM and Former SVP and General Counsel at Manulife | |
| Jessica Morgan | Founder and CEO of Canadian Budget | Website |
| Joyee Yang | CEO & Financial Influencer |
FAQ:
Registration
How do I register?
You will need to fill out the entry form and integrity statement and email both to publicaffairs_affairespubliques@cffim.ca to confirm your registration. The name and email you provide at registration will be used to create your Certificate of Achievement and delivery of your prize (if awarded). All participants, regardless of age, will require consent from a parent or guardian through the registration form.
Accessing the Competition
How do I find the competition scenario for my age group?
The CFFiM 2026 Financial Literacy Competition can be accessed from the CFFiM website. The cases for each group will be posted on this page when the competition officially opens.
Preparing for the competition
How do I prepare for the competition?
We’ve created resources to support you as you prepare for the competition. You can find a list of resources and activities here to help you explore the variety of financial topics included in the competition.
What is the format of the competition?
The competition will be a creative assignment. Each category will receive a different topic will leading questions to help you formulate your submission.
What topics should I focus on?
The competition covers the topics of basic financial concepts, risk management, income and expenses, investing, financial planning, and goal setting.
AI Usage During the Competition
We encourage students to use AI tools to assist with their submissions, provided your AI usage is transparent and supports, not replaces, your critical thinking, creativity, and understanding of financial concepts. You will not be penalized if you choose to use AI, nor will you be given a bonus if you choose not to use AI.
How to use AI Effectively for the Competition
- Clearly state the name(s) of the AI tool(s) you used in your submission.
- Explain why you chose to use AI to assist with your submission.
- Did you fact-check the information the AI provided and verified it with credible sources? If so, what were those sources?
- Your submission displays sound and accurate financial decision-making.
- AI usage ultimately improved your submission without replacing human thought.
- You convey that you understood the challenge and provided a creative solution.
Emailing your Submission
Students are required to type up their solution or financial plan and submit the report electronically (Word Document or PDF) to CFFiM via email.
Submissions must be emailed before the deadline on Friday November 13 at 11:59pm ET. Submissions sent after the deadline will not be considered.
Receiving your results
How are certificates distributed?
Certificates are issued electronically and emailed directly to the email address provided. To ensure timely and accurate delivery, please spell your name correctly and provide a valid email address when registering. Certificates are typically distributed within 6-8 weeks after the competition dates.
If you receive a certificate with your name spelled incorrectly, please email publicaffairs_affairespubliques@cffim.ca and we will correct it.
How are prizes distributed?
If you are a prize winner, you (or your parent or guardian) will be notified by email of your prize. Instructions to receive your award will be included in this email. Prize winners and will be notified via email within 3-4 weeks from the completion of the competition.
What are the prizes?
What prizes can I win?
The top performing student at the Junior and Senior level will each receive a $500 electronic Gift Card. The top performing student at the Primary and Elementary level will each receive a $250 electronic Gift Card.
*Registration will be closed at 11:59pm ET on November 9, 2025.
