Asset Builders of AmericaAsset Builders of America

2026–27 Season

The Finance & Investment Challenge Bowl

A season-long competition testing Wisconsin and northern Illinois high school students' real-world knowledge of investing, credit, and personal finance — from a regional tournament all the way to a state championship.

Register Your TeamSee this season

  • 4 students per team

  • $25 per team

  • Free breakfast & lunch

Participation over time

Students, teams and schools competing in the Finance & Investment Challenge Bowl each season.

Finance & Investment Challenge Bowl participation by season
SeasonStudentsTeamsSchoolsNote
2011-12506128—
2012-13586148—
2013-14607147—
2014-15596142—
2015-16628155—
2016-17531134—
2017-18647147—
2018-1966316766The first season schools were counted individually.
2019-2073318661
2020-2141011264Tournaments ran remotely; attendance fell by nearly half.
2021-2276719485
2022-231,033270117Illinois schools join the program.
2023-241,173307125
2024-251,244325125
2025-261,347357140
  1. 12018-19 — The first season schools were counted individually.
  2. 22020-21 — Tournaments ran remotely; attendance fell by nearly half.
  3. 32022-23 — Illinois schools join the program.

Figures from the organization’s own attendance records.

How it works

  1. 1

    Register

    Sign your team up for the current season — 4 students per team, $25 per team.

  2. 2

    Compete at your regional

    Travel to your assigned regional tournament for a day of head-to-head rounds.

  3. 3

    Top 2 advance

    Each regional's top two teams move on to the state championship.

  4. 4

    State Championship

    Advancing teams from every region compete for the state title.

17 regional tournaments across Wisconsin and northern Illinois

Rules & scoring

Teams face off in head-to-head rounds of rapid-fire questions covering investing, credit, banking, insurance, and other personal-finance topics. Each round has a fixed scoring format and a tie-break procedure, and the top scorers in every regional advance toward the state championship.

Read the complete rules of play

Study & practice

Question sets

27 sample question sets to study from.

Glossary

378 finance terms with definitions.

Content categories

10 topic areas questions are drawn from.

2025–26 state champion

1st place

Nicolet High School

See the full champions table

Schools across Wisconsin & Illinois

167 schools are assigned to one of 17 current regions across Wisconsin and Illinois — see the full directory and map.

Frequently asked questions

Is food provided?

Yes, a light breakfast (coffee, bagel/donut, juice, etc.) is provided, along with lunch (usually pizza). Both breakfast and lunch are provided without charge.

Is there a cost to compete?
  • We charge $25 per team as a registration fee.
  • If this is a barrier to participation, please call and ask about a scholarship.
  • It is the responsibility of the teacher/school to arrange transportation and subs.
How many students are on a team?

We prefer 4 per team, but 3 is ok.

How many teams can a school bring?

We will allow every school that wants to compete to do so. Because we need to fill out our tournament bracket, schools usually can bring multiple teams and sometimes as many as 4 or 5 teams. It depends on the level of interest at any given tournament. Teachers are encouraged to contact Asset Builders to register teams early, and not wait until the deadline.

How should the students prepare/what content do you test?
  • The FICB aligns with statewide learning standards in personal finance and economics.
  • FICB questions ONLY have to do with finance - they do NOT include material from non-finance related subjects.
  • If students are already taking classes in personal finance, economics, marketing, or the like, or participate in DECA or FBLA, they will know enough to be competitive and have fun. They may not know all the answers, but the point of the FICB is education!
  • Our study resources page has broad guidance on the topics covered.
  • Please take a look at these videos taken at previous tournaments: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKGLDHSInIaKw6OWsMXEnA
  • We have released several question sets for previous tournaments to show the format of the games, how we mix the subject matter from one question to the next, and the general structure of the games. Browse the published question sets.
See all frequently asked questions

Bring the Challenge Bowl to your school

Register a team, volunteer at a regional tournament, or sponsor the season.

Register Your TeamVolunteer or sponsor