Our History

The history of MMI is a story of perpetual transformation. With roots that extend all the way back to 1958, MMI has been shaped and reshaped over the years in response to the changing needs of consumers and creditors alike.

In 1997, the nonprofit Money Management by Mail was formed through the alignment of six consumer credit counseling agencies seeking to more effectively leverage their decades of combined experience and expertise. Money Management by Mail quickly became an industry forerunner, both in terms of consumer reach and technological capacity. In 2003, the organization was rebranded as Money Management International to more accurately reflect the scope of its operations.

MMI has continued to expand throughout the years by joining forces with credit counseling agencies across the country. This expansion has made MMI the largest full service nonprofit consumer credit counseling organization in the nation, offering a wide variety of financial counseling and educational services, including debt and budget counseling, student loan counseling, foreclosure counseling, bankruptcy education and certification programs, organizational financial wellness programs, and much, much more.

Notable Milestones

1958 | Family Debt Counselors is founded in Phoenix, AZ. This is MMI's oldest merger partner.

1997 | Money Management by Mail is created by the consolidation of six local credit counseling agencies across the United States.

1998 | Money Management by Mail becomes a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

2003 | Money Management by Mail is officially renamed Money Management International (MMI).

2004 | MMI is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to deliver housing counseling services nationwide, including foreclosure prevention counseling and homebuyer education.

2005 | MMI is approved by HUD to provide nationwide counseling required by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for consumers completing a reverse mortgage application.

2005 | MMI is approved by the Executive Office for United States Trustees (EOUST) to provide pre-filing bankruptcy counseling and pre-discharge education in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code.

2009 | MMI provides education, counseling, and financial assistance to over one million consumers in the calendar year for the first time.

2010 | The organization, which had continued to be known as both MMI and CCCS in various markets, fully consolidates under the brand name Money Management International.

2016 | MMI merges with Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions, adding multiple new programs centered on disadvantaged or at-risk communities, including the Hispanic Centers for Financial Excellence (HCFE) and Military ReConnect program.

2018 | MMI launches a new counseling program, Project Porchlight, focused on supporting financial recovery for survivors of a natural disaster.

  • MMI is proud to have achieved an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and improving marketplace trust. The BBB investigates charges of fraud against both consumers and businesses, sets standards for truthfulness in advertising, and evaluates the trustworthiness of businesses and charities, providing a score from A+ (highest) to F (lowest).
  • MMI is rated as “Excellent” (4.8/5) by reviewers on Trustpilot, a global, online consumer review platform dedicated to openness and transparency. Since 2007, Trustpilot has received over 116 million customer reviews for nearly 500,000 different websites and businesses. See what others are saying about the work we do.
  • MMI is a member of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), an association of nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education. Today, nearly 300 of these groups participate in the federation and govern it through their representatives on the organization's Board of Directors.
  • MMI is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide consumer housing counseling. The mission of HUD is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD provides support services directly and through approved, local agencies like MMI.
  • MMI is proudly accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. COA’s thorough, peer-reviewed accreditation process is designed to ensure that organizations like MMI are providing the highest standard of service and support for clients and employees alike.
  • MMI is a longstanding member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), the nation’s largest nonprofit financial counseling organization. Founded in 1951, the NFCC’s mission is to promote financially responsible behavior and help member organizations like MMI deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.