OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TD Ameritrade, Inc.1 invites college students nationwide to compete in the second-annual thinkorswim® Challenge. Students can register to participate in the simulated trading competition, which is designed to help teach the next generation of investors about engaging with the market. Prizes will be awarded to participants and their schools based on the performance of their virtual trading portfolios over a four-week time frame beginning October 12, 2015.
“The next generation of investors may be savvy technology natives, but our research shows that when it comes to investing and the markets, they aren’t so sure,” said Nicole Sherrod, managing director of the trader group at TD Ameritrade. “The thinkorswim Challenge is a great opportunity for students to put what they’ve learned to the test and, at the same time, build confidence and gain valuable experience that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives.”
The thinkorswim Challenge is offered through TD Ameritrade U, an award-winning2 educational program for professors and college-run organizations that provides free access to virtual trading through thinkorswim desktop and mobile – both of which are recognized as industry-leading technology for sophisticated traders.3
“We’ve worked to develop a program that helps students prepare to enter the real world of personal finance by giving them the ability to put financial theory into action,” adds Sherrod. “Last year’s winning team turned a 213% profit in just four weeks. We can’t wait to see what this year’s students bring to the Challenge.”
Accepting the TD Ameritrade U thinkorswim Challenge
To participate, teams made up of three to four individuals who are students at the same postsecondary educational institution must register at www.thinkorswimchallenge.com. The competition is open to the first 2,000 teams who register. Registration is now open and closes on Monday, October 5, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The four-week competition officially kicks off on October 12, 2015, and runs through November 6, 2015.
thinkorswim Challenge teams are responsible for managing one portfolio during the entire competition and will do so by placing qualifying trades during each trading week. Prizes will be awarded weekly to the top team with the highest percentage gain in the aggregate value of their portfolio at the end of each trading week. At the conclusion of the competition, an additional prize will be awarded to the three teams with the highest percentage gains in their portfolios overall and to their respective schools. Individual prizes include iPads, Amazon gift cards, up to $3,500 deposited into a TD Ameritrade brokerage account, and up to $30,000 for the schools. The team with the most achievement badges at the end of the competition will get $500 for each team member deposited into individual TD Ameritrade brokerage accounts.
For more information about TD Ameritrade U or the thinkorswim Challenge, including the official rules regarding eligibility and prizes, visit www.tdameritradeu.com or www.thinkorswimchallenge.com. For competition updates, follow Nicole Sherrod on Twitter, @TDANSherrod, or follow TD Ameritrade U, @TDameritradeu, and like TD Ameritrade U on Facebook. You can also join conversations about the thinkorswim Challenge using #TOSChallenge.
For the latest news and information about TD Ameritrade, follow the Company on Twitter, @TDAmeritradePR.
The paperMoney® application is for educational purposes only. Successful virtual trading during one time period does not guarantee successful investing of actual funds during a later time period as market conditions change continuously.
NO PURCHASE/BROKERAGE ACCOUNT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE/ACCOUNT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. This is a simulated trading competition. Software download (via mobile app or desktop), Internet access, & use of a valid paperMoney® account are required to participate. Contest consists of 4 trading weeks, each beginning at 8:00:00 am ET & ending at 11:59:59 pm ET: 10/12-10/16/15; 10/19-10/23/15; 10/26-10/30/15; and 11/2-11/6/15. Open only to registered teams of 3-4 individuals who are each a legal resident of any 1 of the 50 US or DC & age of majority+ as of the date of registration & all enrolled at the same post-secondary educational institution located in any 1 of 50 US or DC. Registration begins at 11 am ET on 9/8/15 & must be completed by 11:59pm ET on 10/5/15. PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 2000 TEAMS TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION. Normal Internet access, data, & usage charges may apply. Void where prohibited by law. SUBJECT TO FULL OFFICIAL RULES.
The team with the highest P/L during each trading week will be the potential weekly winning team, subject to verification. ARV of each weekly prize: $500 per winning team member. Total value of all weekly prizes: between $6000 & $8,000 (depending on # of winning team members). At the end of the contest, the teams with the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd highest P/L percentage over the entire contest period will be eligible for prizes. ARV of 1st prize: $3,500 per team member & $30,000 gift to winning team's school (total 1st prize ARV between of $40,500 & $44,000 depending on # of members). ARV of 2nd prize: $2,400 per team member & $20,000 gift to winning team's school (total 2nd prize ARV between $27,200 & $29,600 depending on # of members). ARV of 3rd prize: $1,100 per team member & $10,000 gift to winning team's school (total 3rd prize ARV between $13,300 & $14,400 depending on # of members). At the end of the contest, the team that earned the most badges will be eligible for a prize. ARV of most active team prize: $500 per winning team member (total most active team prize ARV between $1,500 and $2,000 depending on # of members). Total ARV of all prizes: between $88,500 & $98,000 (depending on # of members). Individual cash prize amounts will be deposited into an individual, non-IRA TD Ameritrade standard brokerage account. TD Ameritrade's normal commissions, service fees, & exception fees apply. Funds may be withdrawn from a TD Ameritrade standard brokerage account free of charge, pursuant to TD Ameritrade's regular business practices and policies. If not already a registered account holder, winner must apply & be approved for an individual standard brokerage account. Account must be opened within sixty (60) days of the end of the Contest Period. More information about TD Ameritrade's standard brokerage accounts is available here. More information about TD Ameritrade's pricing and fees is available here. Apple and Amazon.com are not participants in or sponsors of this promotion. Sponsor: TD Ameritrade Services Company, Inc., 200 S. 108th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68154.
Each Amazon.com Gift Card (“GC”) prize is subject to the terms and conditions of Amazon.com. For complete terms and conditions, see www.amazon.com/gc-legal. Except as required by law, Amazon.com GCs cannot be transferred for value or redeemed for cash. GCs may be used only for purchases of eligible goods on Amazon.com or certain of its affiliated websites. GCs are issued by ACI Gift Cards, Inc., a Washington corporation. All Amazon ®, ™ & © are IP of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. No expiration date or service fees. TD Ameritrade and Amazon.com are separate and unaffiliated companies and are not responsible for each other’s policies or services.
TD Ameritrade is not responsible for Apple policies or merchandise. Apple, Inc. is a separate, unaffiliated company and is not responsible for TD Ameritrade services and policies. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.
About TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
Millions of investors and independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) have turned to TD Ameritrade’s (NYSE: AMTD) technology, people, and education to help make investing and trading easier to understand and do. Online or over the phone. In a branch or with an independent RIA. First-timer or sophisticated trader. Our clients want to take control, and we help them decide how – bringing Wall Street to Main Street for more than 39 years. An official sponsor of the 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, as well as an official sponsor of the National Football League for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 seasons, TD Ameritrade has time and again been recognized as a leader in investment services. Please visit TD Ameritrade's newsroom or www.amtd.com for more information.
Source: TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
1. Brokerage services provided by TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA (www.FINRA.org) /SIPC (www.SIPC.org)
2. TD Ameritrade U wins "Special Achievement – Educational Initiative" for bringing trading to the classroom, 2015 Benzinga Fintech Awards.
3. StockBrokers.com, Best Broker Trade Platforms & Tools 2015, Feb. 16, 2015.
