Our Mission & How We Help Individuals Live Debt Free

Money Fit by DRS offers a variety of debt relief programs to consumers in order to help them establish a solid financial future by eliminating their current challenges.

about money fit
about money fit

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As a nonprofit organization, our focus is on preventing financial issues and helping individuals develop strong core competencies in personal finance. Our Credit Counseling Services & Personal Finance Education programs provided through the Money Fit Academy are free to participate in.

about money fit

Non-Profit

Money Fit is a nationwide nonprofit resource for consumers to turn to for trusted guidance and help on the road to their financial goals.

about money fit

Financial Education

Our Credit Counseling Services & Personal Finance Education programs provided through the Money Fit Academy are free to participate in.

about money fit

Debt Relief

We have excellent working relationships with thousands of creditors, many of who want the same, for their customers to overcome their current challenges.

Consumers that qualify for participation in our debt relief program, in which we consolidate unsecured debt into one monthly payment, typically find our fees for our debt management program reasonable and valuable.

Also, we offer 100% free debt relief for military service members at no cost to active duty military members. For businesses and organizations that partner with Money Fit to provide Financial Wellness benefits to their employees or members, the fees are drastically reduced.

You can learn more and receive your free consultation by calling our toll-free number at (800) 432-0310 or submitting your information through our website.

about money fit
about money fit

Who We Help

Money Fit offers help to households in financial crisis as well as individuals, couples, college students, seniors, and all others hoping to find trusted educational and counseling programs for their personal finances.

From debt reduction and credit building to budgeting and saving for emergencies, Money Fit is a nationwide nonprofit resource for consumers to turn to for trusted guidance and help on the road to their financial goals.

While Money Fit clients come from all walks of life and each has had unique experiences that led them to our services, the following characteristics are the most commonly shared:

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    Our clients are generally employed earning sufficient income to repay their debts if only their creditors would lower their interest rates and stop charging late and over-limit fees. Others we help may not have full-time employment, but they have regular income from social security, disability, pensions, settlements, or other steady resources.
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    We often find that those seeking our assistance have recently ended a period of unemployment, undergone some major medical procedures, gone through a difficult divorce, or even lost an expensive lawsuit. Consequently, they are saddled with thousands, often tens of thousands, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.
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    We are also happy to help individuals, from new adults to seniors and everywhere in between, deal with any consequences of periods of impulse spending, unexpected or unplanned major purchases, or just plain overspending. Such individuals and couples never find reproachful or condescending counselors but only support, resources, and services to help them re-establish their finances.
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    The backbone of our services is a debt management program that helps consumers repay 100% of their unsecured debts. Individuals and households concerned with or struggling to meet their monthly payment obligations on credit card debts, medical debts, collection accounts, old utility, cell phone bills, and even payday loans will find direct and beneficial services through our certified credit counselors.
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    Consumers dealing with credit cards that carry high-interest rates (anything above the national average of 14% to 17% APR) can find relief through creditor concessions negotiated by Money Fit.
  • moneyfit checkmark
    We often find that those seeking our assistance have recently ended a period of unemployment, undergone some major medical procedures, gone through a difficult divorce, or even lost an expensive lawsuit. Consequently, they are saddled with thousands, often tens of thousands, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.
  • moneyfit checkmark
    We are also happy to help individuals, from new adults to seniors and everywhere in between, deal with any consequences of periods of impulse spending, unexpected or unplanned major purchases, or just plain overspending. Such individuals and couples never find reproachful or condescending counselors but only support, resources, and services to help them re-establish their finances.
  • moneyfit checkmark
    The backbone of our services is a debt management program that helps consumers repay 100% of their unsecured debts. Individuals and households concerned with or struggling to meet their monthly payment obligations on credit card debts, medical debts, collection accounts, old utility, cell phone bills, and even payday loans will find direct and beneficial services through our certified credit counselors.
  • moneyfit checkmark
    Consumers dealing with credit cards that carry high-interest rates (anything above the national average of 14% to 17% APR) can find relief through creditor concessions negotiated by Money Fit.

Why We Do It

We’ve helped thousands upon thousands of consumers, perhaps like yourself, not only overcome their current debt-related issues but to equip them with the skillset and knowledge to prevent the event from happening again. While this may sound harsh, the reality is that once we’ve counseled an individual and aided them in fulfilling their debt obligations, we never want to see them again unless it’s to provide additional educational materials. It’s our charter, our vision, and what we stand for.

We have excellent working relationships with thousands of creditors, many of who want the same, for their customers to overcome their current challenges and to successfully manage their finances in the future, without the need for additional help.

about money fit

Education First

Everything we do at Money Fit by DRS revolves around educating our clients and communities. In establishing Debt Reduction Services as a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency back in the 1990s, our founder identified financial education as our chartered nonprofit purpose. Our debt counselors’ first obligation is to help the client put together and understand a workable household budget. Every counseling session includes a referral sheet to financial education resources applicable to the client, whether these include our own workshops, webinars, and online materials or those of government and other community organizations.

We long ago committed to our clients, funders, and even regulators that we would always offer financial education programs, resources, and materials at no cost to anyone meeting with us by phone, in person, or electronically.

Finally, we have developed scores of webinars and workshops that our educators and managers have facilitated over the years for tens of thousands of community members in churches, schools, jails and prisons, and even businesses and other nonprofit agencies.

Find Money Fit on Our Social Medias!

Keep up-to-date with Money Fit by following us on Social Media! So, please take just a minute to follow us on social media. We are very active on various social media platforms.

Each offers you the quick and easy chance ask us questions, get updates about new blog articles, and receive practical finance tips and tricks that will likely interest you in your current situation. We would love it if you would consider sharing our social media account information with your family members and friends who might be interested in a better financial life.

Where We Operate

Money Fit by DRS is licensed or registered to provide nonprofit credit and debt counseling to residents in all 50 States of America as well as the District of Columbia. We have office locations in New York, and Idaho, and we provide phone and internet counseling in all locations we operate in. We provide face-to-face consultations in areas where we have a physical location.

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Money Fit In The News

We’ve been fortunate to continue to be published in major media outlets such as Mint.com, Huffpost, CreditCards.com, Fair.com, AARP & many more.

For a list of all media & news mentions, please visit:

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Client Credit Report Authorization

You hereby authorize and instruct Debt Reduction Services, Inc. (DRS, dba Money Fit by DRS) and/or its assigned agents to:
  • Obtain and review your credit report, and
  • Request verifications of your income and rental history, and any other information deemed necessary for improving your housing situation (for example, verifying your annual property tax obligations and homeowner’s insurance fees)
Your credit report will be obtained from a credit reporting agency chosen by DRS. You understand and agree that DRS intends to use the credit report evaluate your financial readiness to purchase or rent a home and/or to engage in post-purchase counseling activities and not to grant credit. You understand you may ask any questions pertaining to your credit report. However, while DRS will review the information with you, the company is not able to furnish you with a copy of your credit profile. You hereby authorize DRS to share your information from your credit report and any information that you provided (including any computations and assessments produced) with the entities listed below to help DRS determine your viable financial options.
  • Banks
  • Counseling Agencies
  • Debt Collectors
  • Landlords
  • Lenders
  • Mortgage Servicers
  • Property Management Companies
  • Public Housing Authorities
  • Social Service Agencies
Entities such as mortgage lenders and/or counseling agencies may contact your DRS counselor to evaluate the options for which you may be eligible. In connection with such evaluation, you authorize the credit reporting and/or financial agencies to release information and cooperate with your DRS counselor. No information will be discussed about you with entities not directly involved in your efforts to improve your housing situation. You hereby authorize the release of your information to program monitoring organizations of DRS, including but not limited to, Federal, State, and nonprofit partners for program review, monitoring, auditing, research, and/or oversight purposes. In addition, you authorize DRS to have your credit report pulled two additional times to conduct program evaluations. You also agree to keep DRS informed of any changes in address, telephone number, job status, marital status, or other conditions which may affect your eligibility for a program you have applied for or a counseling service that you are seeking. Finally, you understand that you may revoke consent to these disclosures by notifying DRS in writing.

Client Privacy, Data Security, and Client Rights Policy

NOTE: This sheet is to inform new or returning clients about our services, records, fees, and limitations that may affect you as a consumer of our services. This form also discloses how we might release your information to other agencies and/or regulators. If you do not understand a statement, please ask a Debt Reduction Services (DRS) counselor for assistance.

Debt Reduction Services, Inc. (DRS) has put into place policies and procedures to protect the security and confidentiality of your nonpublic personal information. This notice explains our online information practices and how we use and maintain your information to conduct our financial education and credit counseling sessions and to fulfill information and question requests. This privacy policy complies with federal laws and regulations.

To provide our financial education and credit counseling services, we collect nonpublic personal information about you as follows: 1) Information we receive from you, 2) Information about your transactions with us or others, and 3) Information we receive from your creditors or a consumer reporting agency. We do not share this information with outside parties.

We use non-identifying and aggregate information to better design our website and services, but we do not disclose anything that could be used to identify you as an individual.

You hereby authorize DRS, when necessary, to share your nonpublic personal, financial, credit, and any information that you provided (including any computations and assessments produced) with the following entities in order to help DRS provide you with appropriate counseling or guide you to appropriate services: third parties such as government agencies, your lender(s), your creditor(s), and nonprofit housing-related and other financial agencies as permitted by law, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. We limit access to your nonpublic personal information to our employees, contractors and agents who need such access to provide products or services to you or for other legitimate business purposes.

Debt Reduction Services, Inc. complies with the privacy requirements set forth in the HUD housing counseling agency handbook 7610.1 (05/2010), including the sections 2-2 Mc, 3-1 H(2), 3-3, 5-3 F, and Attachment A.5. At all times, we will comply with all additional laws and regulations to which we are subject regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of individually identifiable information.

  1. Services: DRS provides the following housing-related services: counseling that includes Homeless Assistance, Rental Topics, Pre-purchase/Homebuying, and Home Maintenance and Financial Management for Homeowners (Non-Delinquency Post-Purchase); Education courses that include Financial literacy (including home affordability, budgeting, and understanding use of credit), Predatory lending, loan scam or other fraud prevention, Fair housing, Rental topics, Pre-purchase homebuyer education, Non-delinquency post-purchase workshop (including home maintenance and/or financial management for homeowners), and other workshops not listed above.

Please refer to DebtReductionServices.org for details of our services.

  1. Limits: Our services are limited to our normal weekday business hours. We do not provide individual counseling or education services after hours or on weekends, although our education courses are available 24/7.
  2. Fees: We do not charge fees for our financial management counseling and education. However, if you use them, you may have to pay for our Debt Management Program, Student Loan Counseling, Bankruptcy Certificate Services or certain financial education courses (homebuyer education, rental topics, fair housing, predatory lending, and post-purchase-non-delinquency including home maintenance and/or financial management for homeowners).
  3. Records: We maintain records of the services you receive, including notes about your progress or other relevant information to your work with us. You have the right to access and view your records by making a request to your counselor.
  4. Confidentiality: We respect your privacy and offer our services in confidence with the understanding that we may share such information with auditors and government regulators. Certain laws or situations may also lead to disclosing confidential issues, such as those involving potential child abuse or neglect, threats to harm self or others, or court subpoenas.
  5. Refusal of Services: You have the right to refuse services without any penalty or loss.
  6. Disclosure of Policies and Practices: You will be provided our agency disclosure statement.
  7. Sharing of Information: Sometimes we will need to contact other agencies or we may need to share your information, including your records, with other agencies or with regulators. We will do this only if you sign this form that gives us permission except for limited reasons; please see # 5 above for examples of such situations.
  8. Other: You have the right to be treated with respect by our staff, and we expect the same from you in return. We encourage you to always ask questions if something is not clear. We also encouraged you to express your thoughts and advocate throughout our services.

You acknowledge that this authorization will remain in effect for the duration of time that DRS serves as your housing counselor or financial education provider. You also acknowledge that should you wish to terminate this authorization, you will notify DRS in writing.

Disclosure  Statement

NOTE: If you have an impairment, disability, language barrier, or otherwise require an alternative means of completing this form or accessing information about our counseling services, please communicate with your DRS representative about arranging alternative accommodations.

Program Disclosure Form

Disclosure to Client for HUD Housing Counseling Services

Debt Reduction Services, Inc. and its financial education arm, Money Fit by DRS, offer the following housing counseling and educational services related to housing, personal finance, and bankruptcy certificates to consumers:
  • Housing Education Courses: DRS offers many online self-guided education programs classified as Financial, Budgeting, and Credit Workshops (FBC), Fair Housing Pre-Purchase Education Workshops (FHW), Homelessness Prevention Workshops (HMW), Non-Delinquency Post Purchase Workshops (NDW), Predatory Lending Education Workshops (PLW), Pre-purchase Homebuyer Education Workshops (PPW), and Rental Housing Workshops (RHW). These courses help participants increase their knowledge of and skills in personal finance, including home affordability, budgeting, and understanding the use of credit, as well as predatory lending, loan scams, and other fraud prevention topics, fair housing, rental topics, pre-purchase homebuyer education, non-delinquency post-purchase topics including home maintenance and/or financial management for homeowners, homeless prevention workshop, and other workshops not listed above relating to personal finance and housing. Course details are found below under “Housing Workshops.”
  • Home Equity Conversation Mortgage (HECM) Counseling (RMC): Via telephone and virtual platforms, we offer the required HECM counseling nationwide in addition to in-person counseling in Boise, Idaho. We also offer in-home counseling options in thirty counties across southern Idaho for an additional fee to cover our travel and additional staff time costs.
  • Home Maintenance and Financial Management for Homeowners (Non-Delinquency Post-Purchase) (FBC): Clients receive counseling and materials on the proper maintenance of their home and mortgage refinancing. Clients can find help and resources by phone, in our Boise office, or virtually on all topics related to stabilizing their long-term homeownership.
  • Services for Homeless Counseling (HMC): Clients receive phone, virtual, or in-person (Boise) counseling to evaluate their current housing needs, identify barriers to and goals for housing stability, establish a path to self-sufficiency, and connect with emergency shelters, income-appropriate housing, and/or other community resources (e.g. mental healthcare, job training, transportation, etc.).
  • Pre-Purchase Counseling (PPC): Clients receive counseling through the entire homebuying process. Assistance may involve creating a sustainable household budget, understanding mortgage options, building their credit rating, and putting together a realistic action plan to set and achieve homeownership goals.  Additionally, clients will receive materials and resources about home inspections and other homeownership topics relevant to successfully maintaining a home.
  • Rental Housing Counseling (RHC): Via phone, in-person appointments (Boise, ID), or virtual platforms, clients receive housing counseling relevant to renting, including rent subsidies from HUD or other government and assistance programs. Topics can also address issues and concerns having to do with fair housing, landlord and tenant laws, lease terms, rent delinquency, household budgeting, and finding alternate housing.
DRS also offers the following services:
  • A Debt Management Program (DMP) for consumers struggling to pay their credit cards, collections, medical debts, personal loans, old utility bills, and past-due cell phone accounts;
  • The Budget Briefing and Debtor Education Certificates that are required during the Bankruptcy filing process;
  • A Student Loan Repayment Plan Counseling and application service.

Relationships with Industry Partners

Through such services, DRS has established financial relationships with hundreds of banks, credit unions, and creditors such as American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, Credit One, Discover, Synchrony, US Bank, USAA, Wells Fargo, and others.

No Client Obligation

The client is not obligated to receive, purchase or utilize any other services offered by DRS or its exclusive partners to receive financial education or housing counseling services. Alternatives: As a condition of our counseling services, in alignment with meeting our client services goals, and in compliance with HUD’s Housing Counseling Program requirements, we may provide information on alternative services, programs, and products available to you, if applicable and known by our staff. Alternative DMP services include negotiating better repayment terms directly with your individual creditors, paying your debts as agreed, or, in extreme cases, filing for personal bankruptcy. Alternative credit and education services can be found through MyMoney.gov or the Jump$tart Clearinghouse of online financial education resources. Housing counseling alternatives can be found through HUD at www.hud.gov/findacounselor.
Finally, you understand that you may revoke consent to these disclosures by notifying DRS in writing.

Housing Counseling and Education Fee Schedule

 

Online Education Program Fees*

Homebuyer Education Course: $59 per participant

  • Self-paced course available here, our online housing counseling and education center. Certificates will be automatically generated upon completion of the course (approximately 6-8 hours)

RentalFair HousingPredatory Lending / HOEPAPost-Purchase (Non-delinquency post-purchase workshop, including home maintenance and/or financial management for homeowners) Online Workshops: $49 per participant

  • Approximately 1 hour each

Other Self-Guided Financial Literacy Webinars (e.g. creditbudgetinghomeless preventiondebt prevention): $0

One-on-one Counseling Fees*

Pre-purchase Homebuying Counseling, Rental Counseling, Post-purchase Ownership Maintenance and Financial Management: $75

  • Session by the hour

Reverse Mortgage/HECM Counseling with Required Certificate:

  • $200†

Credit Report Fee: Paid Directly by Client

*Fees for all but our online education courses and workshops can be paid online by debit card, credit card, or PayPal or in person by cash, check or money order to: “Debt Reduction Services, Inc.” Registration fees are non-refundable 24 hours or less before the start of an in-person course or workshop. Certificates are non-transferable

*Fees may be waived for households with income of 150% or less of that identified on the US Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines Page

†Home visit counseling is available in 30 southern Idaho counties for potential HECM borrowers at additional costs to cover our travel (IRS reimbursement rates apply) and staff time ($50 per hour or fraction there).

Housing Counseling and Education Fee Schedule

 

Online Education Program Fees*

Homebuyer Education Course: $59 per participant

  • Self-paced course available here, our online housing counseling and education center. Certificates will be automatically generated upon completion of the course (approximately 6-8 hours)

RentalFair HousingPredatory Lending / HOEPAPost-Purchase (Non-delinquency post-purchase workshop, including home maintenance and/or financial management for homeowners) Online Workshops: $49 per participant

  • Approximately 1 hour each

Other Self-Guided Financial Literacy Webinars (e.g. creditbudgetinghomeless preventiondebt prevention): $0

One-on-one Counseling Fees*

Pre-purchase Homebuying Counseling, Rental Counseling, Post-purchase Ownership Maintenance and Financial Management: $75

  • Session by the hour

Reverse Mortgage/HECM Counseling with Required Certificate:

  • $200†

Credit Report Fee: Paid Directly by Client

*Fees for all but our online education courses and workshops can be paid online by debit card, credit card, or PayPal or in person by cash, check or money order to: “Debt Reduction Services, Inc.” Registration fees are non-refundable 24 hours or less before the start of an in-person course or workshop. Certificates are non-transferable

*Fees may be waived for households with income of 150% or less of that identified on the US Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines Page

†Home visit counseling is available in 30 southern Idaho counties for potential HECM borrowers at additional costs to cover our travel (IRS reimbursement rates apply) and staff time ($50 per hour or fraction there).