With a history dating back to 1958, Money Management International (MMI) has been helping consumers overcome financial hardships for half a century. MMI currently has over 125 branch offices located in twenty-two states with six call centers making it the largest full-service credit counseling company in the nation. This non-profit organization offers credit counseling as well as debt, budget and housing educational tools.

About the Company:

For clients considering MMI for help with financial concerns, you can find information for 30 different branches on the Better Business Bureau. For the purpose of this review we will not be covering the BBB ratings for each individual branch, however if you are interested in viewing a specific branch, simply visit BBB, click on “check out a business or charity” and enter www.moneymanagement.org in the url section to find the full list. MMI is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and The Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). This company is based in Houston,TX.

The Program:

MMI offers personal credit counseling, debt management services, housing services, financial education services and bankruptcy counseling. With many locations throughout the United States you may have the option of speaking to a counselor in person or via telephone and the Internet. I was unable to find specific fee information on the website, however there are many services available that can help consumers get back on track financially. Credit counseling is available to help you better understand your current and financial situation including what you can do to improve your finances. The debt management service is designed to help you consolidate your high interest debt with the help of MMI. They will work with your creditors on your behalf to lower interest rates and/or waive fees, while setting you up with a lower monthly payment which is withdrawn directly from your bank account each month. Upon receiving your monthly payment they will then allocate payments to your creditors to ensure your payments get to the creditor on time every month. Whether you are looking for your first home or considering a reverse mortgage upon entering retirement, MMI’s housing services can help you make educated decisions when considering housing or mortgage options. You will also find many educational tools which help you better manage your finances. In the event you are already facing a financial hardship, MMI also has bankruptcy counseling and educational programs which help consumers facing an uncertain financial future determine if bankruptcy is right for them.

Website Experience:

The website for Money Management International is professional and easy to navigate. I enjoyed reviewing this website because even though they offer a ton of information, it is presented in a way that is not confusing or hard to find. You don’t often find yourself being pointed to the same page from dozens of different links which allows you to make good use of your time. I did not notice any mention of debt settlement services (which we normally review here at Leave Debt Behind) nor any indication of how much it costs potential clients who are considering using these services. The website does however offer many different pluses including: video gallery, live webinars, various financial tools & calculators and a blog which appears to be updated regularly. A quick search on the Internet did not reveal many complaints and the few that I found basically mentioned the effect being enrolled in a debt consolidation program has on your credit. For the record anyone considering any debt relief program should understand two things. The first being that many of these programs (depending on the method of reducing or eliminating debt) will be viewed negatively on your credit report. The second thing to remember that while having good credit is extremely important in our lives, if you have to choose between having good credit and drowning in debt or eliminating debt and taking a hit on your credit, in most cases it is better to eliminate your debt. After all, who needs excellent credit to qualify for good rates on mortgages or other loans when you have no reasonable way to pay for them? Just a thought.

As always, do your own research and read the fine print to ensure you are not signing up with a company or program that will only increase your financial problems versus solving them.