Credit.org

What Credit.org does

Credit.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit financial counseling organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in Riverside, California. The company delivers HUD-certified and NFCC-accredited counseling services to individual consumers across credit, debt, housing, and reverse mortgage categories, with specialized programming for military and veteran communities. Its core service lines include credit building, debt management programs, foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase housing counseling, reverse mortgage counseling, and bankruptcy counseling (EOUST-approved). The organization has cumulatively completed 5.2M+ counseling sessions and delivered $2.2B+ in homeowner support, with 50,000+ people helped annually across a national toll-free hotline, online counseling platform, and 10 physical branch offices spanning CA, FL, NV, TX, SC, AZ, PA, WA, and GA. Bilingual English/Spanish support and web-based scheduling extend nationwide accessibility, though services are not available to New York residents except for EOUST-approved bankruptcy counseling.

The technology stack is a web-based counseling platform with online worksheets for client data collection, custom application development for eligibility assessment and pipeline management, the FIT Academy online education platform (with 80,707 participants and a measured 31% knowledge gain), a Reverse Mortgage Academy hosted on LearnWorlds, and a suite of financial calculators. Credit.org does not disclose any public API, AI/ML capabilities, or third-party developer integrations. Service delivery is human-counselor-led rather than software-led, and the FIT Academy content library represents the primary digital educational asset.

The business model blends consumer services, enterprise contracts, and nonprofit funding mechanics. The first counseling session is free, with fewer than 25% of clients enrolling in fee-based Debt Management Plans. Revenue sources include voluntary fair-share contributions from participating creditors, government contracts under the Government Solutions B2B offering (staffing triage agents, certified counselors, and program administration for agencies and nonprofits), HUD and state grants, and partnership-driven referral programs with Wells Fargo, Fannie Mae, Bank of America, US Bank, FHLBank Atlanta, and BankOn. There are no owners or shareholders; any surplus is reinvested into systems and facilities. The organization is governed by a voluntary board and holds COA accreditation and BBB A+ rating alongside its HUD and NFCC certifications.

Name

Credit.org

Legal name

Credit.org

Website

https://credit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Credit.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that provides HUD-certified credit, debt, housing, and reverse mortgage counseling to individual consumers, with specialized services for military and veteran families, and a B2B Government Solutions staffing offering to public agencies and financial institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Credit Counseling and Financial Education

NAICS

Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Credit Counseling & Budgeting (FSAEAFAA)

Keywords

• Credit counseling services
• Debt management programs
• Housing counseling services
• Nonprofit financial education
• Reverse mortgage counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Creditor Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Credit.org accepts voluntary contributions from creditors who participate in their Debt Management Plans. Creditors contribute because the DMPs help them recover funds owed. This is the primary funding mechanism alongside potential government grants and partnerships.
2. Government Solutions Contracts: Credit.org provides people, processes, and systems for government agencies, offering staffing for triage agents, certified counselors, document collectors, processors, and program administration including management reporting, treasury reporting, quality control, and financial management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Credit.org provides certified nonprofit financial counseling and education to individual consumers, including credit building/repair, debt management plans, student loan counseling, housing counseling (pre-purchase, foreclosure prevention, rental, reverse mortgage, and disaster recovery), and an online financial literacy curriculum (FIT Academy). The organization also offers Government Solutions, a B2B staffing and program administration service that supplies certified counselors, triage agents, document processors, and program management to public agencies, nonprofits, and financial institutions.

Product overview

Credit.org is a nonprofit financial counseling organization offering a comprehensive suite of financial education and counseling services. The core offering consists of credit and debt counseling services (including Credit Building, Debt Relief, Debt Management Programs, and Student Loan Assistance), housing counseling services (pre-purchase, foreclosure assistance, rental counseling, and reverse mortgage counseling), and the FIT Academy online education platform. The organization operates primarily as a service-based nonprofit rather than a software platform, providing personalized human counseling through certified counselors alongside self-service tools like Financial Calculators, the Reverse Mortgage Academy (powered by LearnWorlds), and Home Buyer Education classes. Government Solutions is an enterprise-facing offering for agencies requiring staffed counseling operations. All services are delivered by HUD-certified and NFCC-certified nonprofit counselors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Credit Building Counseling Personalized nonprofit credit counseling to help individual consumers build stronger credit profiles through customized action plans.
• Improve Credit Score Counseling Expert counseling service focused on helping clients improve their credit scores, gain access to better financial options, lower interest rates, and a secure financial future.
• Credit Report Review Guided review of a client's full credit report to identify issues holding back their score and provide actions to correct errors and improve credit.
• Military & Veteran Counseling Specialized financial counseling services for service members, veterans, and military families addressing unique challenges such as deployments, relocations, and civilian transition.
• Debt Relief Counseling Guided debt relief counseling where certified nonprofit counselors explain available options and help clients choose the right repayment strategies for their financial situation.
• Debt Management Program Structured payment plan where clients deposit funds monthly that are disbursed to creditors; may include reduced interest rates and waived fees from participating creditors.
• Student Loan Assistance Specialized counseling for managing and navigating student loan repayment options and strategies for individual borrowers.
• Pre-Purchase & HOEPA Housing Counseling HUD-approved housing counseling to help prospective homebuyers understand mortgage terms, evaluate affordability, and navigate the home buying process.
• Foreclosure Assistance Counseling Mortgage default counseling to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, explore available options, and protect their homes with HUD-certified housing counselors.
• Rent4Success Rental Counseling Rental counseling program empowering clients with knowledge and preparation to overcome rental market barriers and achieve lasting rental success.
• Rent4Recovery Rental Assistance Rental assistance service for clients facing high-interest credit card debt and rising rent challenges, helping them regain financial stability.
• Disaster Recovery Counseling Resources and counseling to help individuals rebuild and recover financially after natural or other disasters.
• Reverse Mortgage Academy Free 30-minute online course that helps clients understand how reverse mortgages work before speaking to a lender, delivered via LearnWorlds.
• Reverse Mortgage Counseling (HECM & Proprietary) HUD-required counseling session with a certified HECM counselor for both HECM and non-HECM reverse mortgage products.
• Reverse Mortgage Default Counseling Mortgage default counseling specifically for reverse mortgage holders to help them avoid default and protect their homes.
• FIT Academy (Financial Instructional Training) Online financial literacy education platform offering free courses available 24/7, including Smart Money 101, Debt Rescue, Debt Simplified, Power to Paycheck Planning, Identity Theft Prevention, and more.
• Financial Calculators Suite of free online financial planning tools including budget, debt payoff, mortgage, 401k savings, auto loan, credit card debt, retirement, student loan, and reverse mortgage calculators.
• 8-Hour Home Buyer Education Class Comprehensive 8-hour in-person home buyer education class providing practical guidance to help prospective homebuyers understand the home buying process and prepare for homeownership.
• eHome Online Pre-Purchase Course Online pre-purchase education course offered in partnership with eHome America for prospective homebuyers to complete required homebuyer education.
• Home Buyer Orientation (Ready Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.2B+ in homeowner support delivered
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• eHome AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for online pre-purchase education courses. Credit.org offers eHome Online Pre-Purchase Course through this partnership, allowing clients to complete required education for home purchases online.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo CLIMB Program partnership providing financial education and counseling resources. Includes collaboration on Ready program and home buyer orientation workshops.
• Federal Home Loan Bank of AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FHLBank Atlanta providing housing counseling and financial education support through their programs.
• BalancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Balance (Bebalanced.org) for financial education resources and consumer financial wellness programs.
• Fannie MaecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fannie Mae through the Fannie Mae and NFCC Program for housing counseling and homeownership preparation.
• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBank of America Program partnership providing financial counseling and education resources to Bank of America customers.
• National Foundation for Credit CounselingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFCC membership providing access to national network of credit counseling agencies, shared resources, and industry best practices.
• BankOncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBankOn partnership for banking education and financial inclusion initiatives helping unbanked and underbanked populations.
• Community HousingWorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Community HousingWorks for housing counseling and homeownership support programs.
• Reverse Mortgage PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership program specifically for reverse mortgage counseling and education services.
• US BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with US Bank for financial education and consumer resources.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GreenPath Financial Wellness: HUD-approved nonprofit credit counseling agency providing debt management, housing counseling, student loan counseling, and financial education. Closely matches Credit.org in nonprofit structure, service portfolio, and regulatory positioning.
• Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions: Nonprofit credit counseling and student loan counseling agency offering DMPs, housing counseling, and financial education. Operates under similar HUD/NFCC certifications and serves overlapping consumer populations.
• InCharge Debt Solutions: Nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency providing credit counseling, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and financial education. Direct competitor for HUD-approved services and DMP enrollment.
• Money Management International: One of the largest US nonprofit credit counseling agencies, offering DMPs, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and financial education. Directly comparable to Credit.org in mission, service mix, HUD/NFCC certifications, and target consumer segments.
• Consolidated Credit: Nonprofit credit counseling organization providing debt consolidation, credit counseling, housing counseling, and financial education. Directly comparable in mission and target consumer segments.
• Take Charge America: Nonprofit credit counseling agency offering debt management, housing counseling, student loan counseling, and financial education. Comparable in service breadth and HUD-approved housing counseling status.

Broad incumbents

• Accredited Debt Relief: For-profit debt settlement firm serving consumers seeking alternatives to traditional credit counseling. Competes with Credit.org for the same financially stressed consumer pool through a paid-settlement model rather than nonprofit counseling.
• National Debt Relief: For-profit debt settlement company that competes with Credit.org for consumer debt relief demand. Operates a different business model (settlement vs. counseling) but targets the same financially distressed consumer segment.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling: The national trade association of nonprofit credit counseling agencies of which Credit.org is a member. Acts as an industry umbrella and operates shared programs that channel consumer demand to member agencies like Credit.org.

Emerging players

• Money Fit by DRS: Nonprofit credit counseling agency offering debt management, housing counseling, and student loan services. Smaller and regionally focused, but directly comparable in service model and nonprofit HUD-approved positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CreditdotOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CreditDotOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/credit.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/creditdotorg
• TikToktiktok.com/@creditdotorg

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Credit.org