On Miami Beach Tuesday, the team from Maryland defeated North Dakota in the finals, but this competition had nothing to do with sports.
The Lifesmarts competition pits students against one another in all things finance.
"The questions were tough, especially the writing, but we are going to use this to save money and help people avoid scams," said Maryland team captain Cobey England.
The National Consumer League's Lifesmarts program teaches personal finance skills, health and safety, about technology, the environment, and consumer rights.
"This is an excellent opportunity for these high school students to go back and serve their families and their communities with what they have learned here," said National Consumer League Executive Director Sally Greenberg.
The students here learning practical things, like how to read a cell phone plan so they know if the texting will be a flat fee or cost them a fortune.
The Florida team made it to the semifinal round in the competition.
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One big thing the students are now are the lookout for is mortgage fraud, a huge problem in South Florida.
The students said they won't fall prey to the kind of scams that unfortunately crop up in a poor economy where ripoff artist are lurking.
The consumer league hopes advice from these young experts will help all of us keep and use wisely the funds we have, help us avoid scams and teach us how to be smarter consumers.
