Compete

Business Writing

InvestWrite

A free national essay competition on investing, judged on reasoning rather than returns.

Run by SIFMA Foundation

Official website Reviews and tips

Key facts

Eligible grades
Grades 4 to 12, in three divisions: Elementary grades 4 to 5, Middle School grades 6 to 8, and High School grades 9 to 12.
Source, checked 2026-09-02
Official divisions
Three divisions judged separately: Elementary grades 4 to 5, Middle School 6 to 8 and High School 9 to 12. Entry requires active participation in The Stock Market Game.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
Eligible ages
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.
Divisions are set by grade, not age.
Individual or team
Individual · Individual essays
Where it runs
Online · United States
Entry cost
FreeNo separate InvestWrite fee is described; the cost is whatever your state charges for Stock Market Game participation.
Registration deadline
Set locally, not published as a single national date The 2026-27 InvestWrite competition details had not been published at the time of checking. There are autumn and spring competitions aligned to the Stock Market Game sessions. Allow 10 to 12 weeks after close for winner notification.
Competition dates
Autumn and spring cycles, with judging and awards following each.
Difficulty
Open to beginnersNo prior competition experience assumed. If you can do the school-level material, you can enter and score points.
Prizes
Every participant is eligible for an InvestWrite Certificate of Achievement. The top 10 students in each grade division are recognised, along with their parents, teachers, classrooms and schools. Reported prizes include laptops and trips to New York.National winners receive cash or prize awards along with recognition; state winners receive their own awards. Amounts vary by year and state.

What InvestWrite is

InvestWrite is the essay companion to The Stock Market Game. Students respond to an annual prompt about investing, personal finance or the economy, and entries are judged by financial professionals on the quality of the reasoning rather than on any portfolio result. It is free, individual, and provides a route to national recognition for students who think well about markets even if their simulated portfolio did not win.

How the competition works

Students write an essay applying what they learned in The Stock Market Game to long-term investing, in response to a published writing prompt. The Stock Market Game advisor collects and reviews essays and submits only the best ones online before the deadline, so there is an internal filter before national judging. Judges score up to eight essays each on rationale, understanding of the subject matter, and writing style.

Eligibility notes

Participation typically requires enrolment in The Stock Market Game through a teacher. Check your state coordinator's rules.

Is InvestWrite right for you?

Experience needed
None. Elementary divisions exist and the prompts are written to be answerable by a beginner.
Time commitment
A few hours of writing plus research.
What you actually do
You answer a specific prompt about investing or personal finance in an essay judged by people who work in finance.

A good fit if

  • You are already doing The Stock Market Game
  • You write well and want a competition where reasoning beats results
  • You want a free national competition with no travel

Probably not for you if

  • Students not enrolled in the game, since participation usually runs through it

Compare this against competitions matched to you

Common mistakes

  • Writing a general essay about investing rather than answering the specific prompt, which is the most common reason strong writing does not place.
  • Ignoring the word limit for your division, which is enforced.

How to register

  1. Enrol in The Stock Market Game through a teacher, since InvestWrite participation typically runs alongside it.
  2. Read the season's prompt carefully. It changes each cycle and answering it directly matters more than general knowledge.
  3. Write within the word limit for your division.
  4. Submit through your teacher before the cycle deadline.

Register on the official site

What skills you need

  • Financial reasoning
  • Persuasive writing
  • Explaining a decision clearly
  • Basic investment concepts

Recommended resources

Past problems and materials

Only materials the organiser or an authorised archive publishes openly are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to play The Stock Market Game?

Participation typically runs through enrolment in the game via a teacher. Check your state coordinator's rules, since arrangements have varied.

Reviews, tips and resources from other students

Posts are public. Do not share your full name, school, address or contact details.

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StructureDivisions by grade or level
  • FormatTeam
  • WhereBoth
    • Check site