The top 5 entries have been selected from students around Australia to compete in the 2019 finals of the AMP University Challenge.

A record 213 students entered the 2019 competition, now in its ninth year. The competition seeks to promote emerging talent among the next generation of financial advisers and drive higher professional standards in financial planning.

Students from Deakin University, TAFE NSW and Central Queensland University made the final cut: three teams and two solo competitors.

AMP will now bring the students to Sydney to compete in Finals Day on 25 October.

The finalists are:

All competitors were required to submit a financial plan for a hypothetical client, following proper advice processes and convincingly showing the advice was in the clients’ best interests.

AMP Head of Education, Capability and Careers Rod Edge congratulated the top place getters, saying they had already shown outstanding talent to reach the finals.

“We’ve had a record number of entries this year, so the competition has been hotter than ever to score a place in the top 5,” Mr Edge said.

Finals Day is an intense round of challenges, including a technical quiz, a formal presentation on a topical industry issue and a mock advice interview where the finalists have to present their financial plan to their client. 

The winning students will share in $10,000 prize money and national recognition of their career potential.

This year the AMP University Challenge will also be the subject of an academic research project conducted by AMP and its education partner Griffith University into the influence of industry competitions on student career outcomes.

The research is led by AMP’s newly-appointed research fellow in financial advice at Griffith, Ellana Brand.