National Financial Plan Competition 2026

2026 National Financial Plan Competition

The results are in, and we are thrilled to announce the Semi-Finalists for the IARFC® National Financial Plan Competition!

On behalf of the IARFC® US Chapter, we extend our sincere appreciation to all participating universities and students for the significant time, effort, and dedication invested in preparing your financial plans. Your creativity, professionalism, and hard work have made this year’s competition truly exceptional. Every submission demonstrated commitment and excellence, and we hope this experience has been as rewarding for you as it has been exciting for us to review. We also welcome any feedback you may wish to share as we continue to enhance this competition.

This year, the competition was incredibly close! Typically, six teams advance to the semi-finals, but this year, three teams tied for sixth place, resulting in eight outstanding teams moving forward to compete for the top three finalist positions.

Congratulations to our Semi-Finalist Teams:
 

University of North Florida Valeria Diaz & Maddox Ray Program Director: Ronald Heymann	Stetson University Greta Johann & Wisvensky Dabady Associate Professor: Giovanni Fernandez, Ph.D.
Utah Valley University Kaleb Tanner & Tano Condie Professor: Luke Dean, Ph.D.	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign James Perez & Luc Moukeke Associate Professor: Craig Lemoine, Ph.D.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Aiden Dively & Egan Franzen Associate Professor: Craig Lemoine, Ph.D.	Utah Valley University Jordan Hatch & Caleb Mills Professor: Luke Dean, Ph.D.
Utah Valley University Dylan Caldwell & Jacy Penick Professor: Luke Dean, Ph.D.	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Ari Kravis & Josiah Rutledge Associate Professor: Craig Lemoine, Ph.D.

 

2026 Plan Competition Information
Details and Rules
Participation Agreement
Team Assignments - Name and Software

Get Real-World Experience

Eligibility: The IARFC National Financial Plan Competition is open only to undergraduate university students enrolled in a curriculum of personal financial planning or financial services at a University or College in the US or international chapters.

Intention: Professors register their students to compete in the NFPC to enhance and gain the “real world” experiences needed in developing a financial plan. The Competition progresses through 3 stages, ending in 3 teams of students presenting their plan in person to a “real client” in front of the US Chapter Board of Directors for judging.  For more information, email plancomp@iarfc.org.

*INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES
• Expenses must be approved by the Chapter before submission with consent emailed to plancomp@iarfc.org.
• International Chapter will be responsible for their finalist team(s) round-trip airfare to Orlando, FL. (Professors may attend at their own expense.)

We want to invite you to support the Competition as a Corporate Sponsor or Individual Donor.

Plan Competition Registration Documentation 
Details, Rules & Resources
Participation Agreement
Team Assignments and Software Request
 

Competition Benefits

Finalist Teams receive:

• A certificate and cash award
• One year free* IARFC membership or Registered Financial Associate, RFA^® (depending on qualifications per Chapter) to First Place winners.
• Networking and Career opportunities with experienced financial consultants (potential career opportunities)
• Resume-building achievements
 

Professors of Finalist Teams receive:

• Certificates of recognition for team placement in the Competition
 

Universities of Finalist Teams receive:

• Awards for the Universities
 

Media Coverage for students, professors, and the university:

• Publication of winning plan in the IARFC Academic Journal of Personal Finance
• Recognition in the IARFC National Industry Magazine, the Register
• Participation and placement announcement on the IARFC Corporate website
• Corporate Social Media coverage, including Facebook and LinkedIn
(Any student or professor, by participating in the competition, grants implied consent for the IARFC to use photos or videos in the above media coverage areas.)