Principal Foundation Announces 2025 Winner and Finalists of National Short Story Contest, Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative

An upcoming virtual event will spotlight financial trends reflected in this year's winner and finalist stories 

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Principal^® Foundation, a global nonprofit organization committed to helping people and communities build financially secure futures, today announced one winner and 18 finalists for its third annual Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative, a national short story contest. The contest uses the power of storytelling to help destigmatize and encourage conversations about money and personal finances.

The winning story was "Trove" written by Cedric Rose from Cincinnati, Ohio and explores working-class survival through a childhood encounter with sudden wealth, highlighting the divide between immediate possession and the financial knowledge needed to build lasting security.

"Each year, the stories we receive remind us just how deeply money shapes identity, belonging, and opportunity," said Jo Christine Miles, director, Principal® Foundation and Community Relations, Principal Financial Group®. "This year's collection poignantly explored how unequal access to financial resources, the unspoken rules people navigate around money, and the emotional work of pursuing stability all shape our confidence in handling finances."

Launched in 2023, Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative is hosted in collaboration with Short Édition, a global publishing house, and The Center for Fiction, a national literary nonprofit. Submissions were reviewed by an esteemed panel of literary authors and experts including Paco de Leon, David Drury, Mateo Askaripour, Bourree Lam, and Daniel Lefferts alongside representatives from The Center for Fiction and Short Édition. The winner will receive $1,000 and each finalist will receive $150.

More than 600 writers have submitted their money stories since the contest launched. This year's submissions reflect shifting financial norms, offering insight into how individuals across generations and communities experience financial security, access, and opportunity.

 2025 Finalists:

• Tricia Vita, New York, New York, "Money Apron Melody"
• Angie Curneal Palsak, South Bend, Indiana, "First Blush"
• Renee Tawa, Evanston, Illinois, "Finding Frank Sinatra"
• Miriam Alex, New York, New York, "Wedding Fever"
• Sean Cho Ayres, Kennesaw, Georgia, "Annotations of Distance"
• Rachana Pathak, NYC, New York, "Rocking the Boat"
• Jennifer Gibbs, Piggott, Arkansas, "Ledger of Lives"
• Melanie Lau, Fincastle, Virginia, "Safekeeping"
• Emmanuel Ikeh, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, "Money, Mama, and the Mango Tree"
• Katherine Cart, Charlottesville, Virginia, "I See a Big Boy Cry"
• Jaimee Wriston Colbert, Whitney Point, New York, "Skins"
• Matt Goldberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "Pass-through"
• Yolanda Wiggins, San Jose, California, "What The Money Knows"
• Yvette Saenz, Tucson, Arizona, "Crookedness"
• M. Morton, Atlanta, Georgia, "Quicksand Street"
• Jen Schneider, Dresher, Pennsylvania, "Plastic (Rights) Rites"
• G.E. Motz, Lincolnton, North Carolina, "A Simple Life"
• Jon Gluckman, Haddonfield, New Jersey, "Money for Nothing"

As part of Principal Foundation's continued commitment to fostering open conversations about how money shapes our experiences and perceptions, Principal Foundation will host a live, one-hour virtual event on February 12^th at 12pm CT. The conversation will feature renowned personal finance author Paco de Leon and this year's contest winner Cedric Rose, author of "Trove" as they explore financial confidence in America. Participants will also hear directly from Rose about the inspiration behind "Trove" and how the story illuminates the realities of class, survival, and perceived versus actual wealth. Those interested can register for the live discussion via Zoom here.

Stories from this year's Money Chronicles contest winner and finalists will be published through Principal Foundation's Short Story Dispensers in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, N.C.; Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, Wash.; Prairie Lights in Iowa City, Iowa; Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.; and at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, Iowa. The stories will also appear in Times Square through Principal Foundation's continued strategic partnership with the Times Square Alliance.

For more information about Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative and to read stories from this year's finalists, visit https://short-edition.com/en/contest/principal-2025. 

For more information about Principal Foundation, visit: https://www.principalfoundation.org.

About Principal^® Foundation
Principal Financial Group Foundation, Inc. ("Principal Foundation") is a duly recognized Section 501(c)(3) entity focused on providing philanthropic support to programs that build financial security in the communities where Principal Financial Group, Inc. ("Principal") operates. While Principal Foundation receives funding from Principal, Principal Foundation is a distinct, independent, charitable entity. Principal Foundation does not practice any form of investment advisory services and is not authorized to do so. Established in 1987, Principal Foundation works with organizations that are helping to shape and support the journey to financial security by ensuring access to essential needs, fostering social and cultural connections, and promoting financial inclusion. Principal Foundation supports a diverse community of 85 charitable organizations across the globe. 5078879-122025

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SOURCE Principal Foundation