Student Zone                                                                                                                    

Young Financial Journalist 2022/23                 

We have our winners!

Organised in partnership with the Financial Times and their Financial Literary and Inclusion Campaign (FLIC), our Young Financial Journalist competition gives young people the opportunity to show off their writing skills and financial know-how. 

YFJ-banner-2019

                                                                                                                                                                               Flick-logo

About the Young Financial Journalist competition

The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) and the Financial Times (FT) Young Financial Journalist competition looks for well-argued articles from students aged 14 to 19. 

Winning entries are published on the Insights section of our website and may be included in a feature on the Financial Times website and/or in FT Money. The winner of each age group also receives a £150 cash prize. 

This year, our panel of judges included: 

  • Money and Wealth Editor at the FT, Stefan Wagstyl
  • Maths teacher, author and broadcaster, Bobby Seagull
  • Managing Director of Financial Education and Community Outreach at LIBF, Catherine Winter

Commenting on this year’s competition, Catherine Winter said: 

“This year the standard for the competition was incredibly high. There were so many great articles that stood out, which made it very interesting and fulfilling to judge. 

“It’s always interesting to hear about young people’s thoughts on money. Reading these articles, it is evident that so many young people are passionate about finance and the future of the industry.”  

Competition questions by age group

 

14 -15

  • What key money skills should young people have by the time they leave sixth form, and what do they need to consider?
  • Cash – can it stand up and be counted or is the end of physical money in sight

16 - 17

  • What financial tactics can young people use to cope with increases in the cost of living and to manage their finances more effectively?
  • What can young people do to avoid falling victim to financial scammers and criminals?

18 - 19

  • How can we encourage more consumers to invest in the stock market? What role could technology play?
  • How can financial institutions help us tackle climate change?

 

 

 

About our judges

Stefan Wagstyl is the Money and Wealth Editor at the FT. He edits Wealth magazine and manages global wealth management stories. Previously he’s been the FT’s Comment Editor for the Nikkei Asian Review, Chief Germany Correspondent, and the FT’s Editor for beyondbrics, Emerging Markets, Central and East Europe, New Delhi Bureau Chief and Tokyo Bureau Chief. 

Bobby Seagull is a maths teacher, author, and broadcaster. He co-hosts the BBC Monkman & Seagull Genius Guide series and is a resident expert on Channel 4's quiz The Answer Trap. He has published The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers and co-hosts the Maths Appeal podcast. He previously worked in investment banking as a trader (Lehman Brothers & Nomura) and qualified as a Chartered Accountant (PwC). He is now a regular commentator on financial education and money matters. 

Catherine Winter is Managing Director, Financial Education and Community Outreach at The London Institute of Banking & Finance. Following a career in communications, she was a teacher of economics for six years and is now responsible for our work with schools who are delivering our financial capability qualifications at Levels 1, 2 and 3. 

Schools teaching 16-19 year olds can get free access to FT.com. Get your free subscription to the Financial Times       

FT

Find out more about our Financial Education courses

 

Meet this year's winners!

14-15 age group

Winner: Tife Yoloye, The Leys School, Cambridge 

“I’m really pleased that I entered the competition. The topic of a cashless society posed an interest to me and I wanted to learn more about where was society was moving ahead and whether it’s something that will happen, so I thought it would be a fun thing to research.” 

Stefan Wagstyl says, “Strong arguments, punchy prose, excellent data and notes.” 

tife-yoloye-yfj
tife-yoloye-yfj

Highly commended: Oreva Esalomi, Tonbridge Grammar School, Tonbridge   

“I just thought the question I chose was a really interesting topic, because it’s something you can see in your own life – how much people are using cash vs card. It’s something that I can relate to and wanted to explore and write about.” 

 

16-17 age group

Winner: Moradeke Akisanya, Cheltenham Ladies College, Cheltenham

“I entered the competition because I’m really interested in economics and want to study it at university. My knowledge about money was limited so I thought it would be a good way for me to learn more about it. I took the competition as a challenge to research about money management and finances.” 

Stefan Wagstyl says, “Practical, punchy, great invention of a phrase 'financial virginity', corporate detail, data and notes.” 

moradeke-akisanya-yfj
max-ejogo-yfj

Highly commended: Max Ejogo, King´s InterHigh Online School, London 

“I chose my question because it was mainly about financial tactics to cope with the cost of living and I think it’s a problem that has become more and more prevalent since the start of the pandemic. We had started learning about it and we all have experience living through it, so I thought it was an important topic to talk about, especially now.” 

18-19 age group

Winner: Rohan Noble, Queen Mary's Grammar School, West Midlands 

“I’ve always been interested in the economy and macroeconomics, and it was just a really great opportunity for me to develop my ideas further and put my work out there. Sometimes the finance industry seems elitist and inaccessible, and I feel like now is the time to make it more open and allow more people to learn about it, especially with the cost-of-living crisis – I think it’s really important.” 

Stefan Wagstyl says, “Clear winner, strong argument, wide range taking in digital and diversity themes, solid basis.” 

rohan-noble-yfj
sharon-benson-yfj

Highly commended: Sharon Benson, Northfleet School for Girls, Gravesend  

“I was studying about consumer sustainability, and I already had some basic knowledge on the topic. In my other subjects, I had to write an essay about ethical issues, and I wrote about buy now pay later companies. I’ve done a lot of research around technology and consumer protection, so it just made sense for me to further develop my knowledge through writing the article.” 

Thinking about a career in banking and finance?

Find out about the different sectors, jobs and routes into the financial services industry in our My financial career section. 

 

young-girl-smiling

Financial Education

Financial education helps 14 to 19-year-olds learn the skills they’ll need to manage money in the future – while working towards a recognised qualification.