Financial Counseling Association of America

What Financial Counseling Association of America does

The Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, that represents the nation's leading credit counseling agencies. Through its member network — which spans all 50 states and Puerto Rico — FCAA provides consumer credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, bankruptcy counseling, debt management plan (DMP) administration, and financial education. Core deliverables include DMPs that consolidate unsecured debts into a single monthly payment at reduced interest rates over a typical 3–5 year horizon, one-on-one confidential counseling sessions with certified credit counselors, mandatory pre- and post-filing bankruptcy certificates, and educational content delivered via blog, social media, workshops, podcasts, and infographics. Supporting these services are two consumer-facing digital tools: a "Find A Credit Counselor" state-by-state matching portal and the Debt Freedom Tool, a free online budgeting calculator.

FCAA operates on a dual revenue model. The primary recurring stream consists of membership dues paid by member credit counseling agencies that are licensed or registered in the states where they operate and held to FCAA's operating standards. The secondary stream is state-regulated professional services revenue collected by member agencies from DMP enrollment fees, monthly DMP service fees (typically capped under $30/month), bankruptcy-related certificates and education courses, and other non-credit-counseling sessions. The initial counseling consultation is always free, with no obligation to enroll in a DMP, positioning FCAA as a high-trust, non-sales-driven alternative to for-profit debt settlement and consolidation providers.

FCAA does not operate as a software platform; the organization describes itself as a service-based association with minimal proprietary technology beyond its website, calculator, and member portal. Reported scale metrics — 300,000+ consumers counseled annually and $800 million of debt repaid annually through DMPs — reflect activity across the member agency network rather than FCAA's direct P&L. Headcount is reported in the 251–500 range, and the organization is governed by its member agencies with no outside equity, venture, or private equity ownership disclosed.

Name

Financial Counseling Association of America

Legal name

Financial Counseling Association of America

Website

https://fcaa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association of credit counseling agencies that delivers consumer credit counseling, debt management plans, housing, student loan, and bankruptcy counseling across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Credit Counseling

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAKAJAH

Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP)

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Debt Collection, Recovery & Servicing

SECONDARYFSAEAFAB

Debt Management Plans (DMP) Administration

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Credit & Debt Advisory (Restructuring, Counseling & Settlement)

SECONDARYFSAKAIAJ

Debt Management Plans (DMP) & Consolidation Programs

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Debt Consolidation & Refinancing

SECONDARYFSAEAFAJ

Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Credit & Debt Advisory (Restructuring, Counseling & Settlement)

Keywords

• Credit counseling services
• Debt management plans
• Financial education resources
• Housing counseling services
• Student loan counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Boca Raton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues from credit counseling agencies: FCAA operates as a member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit national association. Member agencies pay dues to belong to the association.
2. Fees for debt management plan services: State-regulated fees for debt management plan (DMP) enrollment and monthly services. Fees to enroll in a DMP are regulated by the states. Monthly fees for DMP services are minimal, typically not exceeding $30/month. There may be fees for bankruptcy-related services including certificates and education courses, and other non-credit-counseling sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association that connects consumers with certified credit counseling agencies nationwide. Its core offering is free credit counseling sessions, with the primary paid service being Debt Management Plans (DMPs) that consolidate multiple unsecured debts into a single monthly payment at reduced interest rates over 3-5 years. Supporting offerings include housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling and certificates, student loan counseling, and financial education resources.

Product overview

The Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) is a professional non-profit membership association that operates as a service-based organization rather than a software platform. FCAA connects consumers with a network of certified credit counseling agencies providing services across all 50 states. The core offerings include Debt Management Plans (DMPs) as the primary debt relief product, along with credit counseling, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, student loan counseling, and financial education. Supporting these services is the Debt Freedom Tool, a free online budgeting calculator, and a counselor matching service. The organization serves approximately 300,000+ consumers annually through member agencies and facilitates $800 million of debt repaid annually. FCAA does not operate as a software-as-a-service platform with modules but rather as an association coordinating service delivery across its member network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Debt Management Plans (DMP) A structured repayment plan that consolidates multiple unsecured debts into a single lower monthly payment, helping consumers pay off credit card debt at reduced interest rates and fees over three to five years.
• Credit Counseling One-on-one confidential sessions with FCAA-certified credit counselors who review budgets, analyze debt situations, and provide personalized recommendations for debt relief and financial management. Initial consultation is always free.
• Housing Counseling Financial counseling services specifically focused on housing-related issues including mortgage payments, rental challenges, foreclosure prevention, and reverse mortgage decisions.
• Bankruptcy Counseling Pre-filing and post-filing bankruptcy counseling services including certificates and education courses required for bankruptcy proceedings.
• Student Loan Counseling Guidance on student loan repayment plans, loan forgiveness programs, and strategies for managing student debt effectively.
• Financial Education Educational resources including articles, workshops, videos, podcasts, and infographics covering budgeting, debt management, credit scores, and financial wellness.
• Debt Freedom Tool A free online budgeting calculator that helps users create a personalized budget worksheet, analyze their financial situation, and receive debt relief recommendations. After submission, users receive a copy of their budget, specific recommendations, and options to connect with FCAA member counseling agencies.
• Find A Credit Counselor An online matching service connecting consumers with FCAA-certified credit counselors in their state, offering free initial consultations and access to member agencies across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ consumers helped annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Accredited Debt Relief: Accredited Debt Relief is a for-profit debt settlement company that competes for the same financially stressed consumer pool as FCAA's DMP offering but pursues settlement (forgiveness) outcomes rather than structured repayment — an alternative-path competitor for FCAA's referral pipeline.
• National Debt Relief: National Debt Relief is a for-profit debt settlement company that targets the same high-balance, high-stress credit card consumer segment that FCAA serves via DMPs — competing for the same top-of-funnel demand with a faster (settlement) but more expensive product.

Direct peers

• Money Management International (MMI): MMI is one of FCAA's largest member agencies and itself operates as a major non-profit credit counseling provider offering DMPs, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and student loan counseling nationwide — directly comparable in product mix and customer base.
• Cambridge Credit Counseling: Cambridge Credit Counseling is a FCAA member agency providing DMPs, credit counseling, and debt consolidation services with a similar service mix and consumer target market.
• Take Charge America: Take Charge America is a FCAA member agency providing DMPs, credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, and bankruptcy services — overlapping directly with FCAA member-agency offerings and serving similar consumer credit-stressed segments.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): NFCC is the closest direct peer to FCAA — both are non-profit membership associations of credit counseling agencies providing DMPs, credit counseling, housing counseling, and financial education across the U.S. The two organizations historically split the non-profit credit counseling member-agency universe and compete for member agencies, accreditation standards, and consumer referrals.
• InCharge Debt Solutions: InCharge is a non-profit credit counseling agency providing DMPs, credit counseling, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and financial education — closely matching FCAA's member-agency service portfolio with overlapping federal/employer contract relationships.
• Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions: Clearpoint (formerly Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern New England) is a non-profit credit counseling agency member-affiliated with NFCC offering DMPs, housing, student loan, and bankruptcy counseling — directly comparable in service model and customer segments to FCAA's member agencies.
• Consolidated Credit: Consolidated Credit is a FCAA member agency and major non-profit credit counseling provider offering DMPs, credit counseling, and financial education — comparable service portfolio, similar customer segments, and similar consumer outcomes-driven marketing.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: GreenPath is a large non-profit credit counseling and financial wellness agency offering DMPs, credit counseling, housing counseling, and student loan counseling — directly comparable to FCAA's member-agency offerings and serving overlapping consumer segments nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@financialcounselingassocia928
• Facebookfacebook.com/FinancialCounselingAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/financialcounseling
• Instagraminstagram.com/fcaahelps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Financial Counseling Association of America