Partnership for Financial Education

What Partnership for Financial Education does

Partnership for Financial Education (PFE), established in 2012, is a private U.S. professional certification organization that issues credentials to individuals working in consumer debt management and debt settlement services. Its core products are two certification programs — the Certified Personal Debt Management Counselor (CDMP), covering counseling skills, personal financial management, housing, student loans, and consumer protection law; and the Certified Debt Settlement Specialist (CDS), spanning 12 modules including suitability assessment, lending, debt collection, credit repair, negotiation techniques, and ethical conduct. Both certifications are earned via a 100-question, proctored, closed-book multiple-choice online exam with a 70% passing threshold and a one-year exam window from enrollment. Certifications are valid for two years and must be renewed with 16 CEUs (including 1 mandatory Ethics CEU priced at $35), with renewals and exam retakes priced at $50.

The underlying technology is an online certification and enrollment platform supporting individual self-serve sign-up, company-level enrollment, online exam scheduling, and access to CEU courses, supplemented by phone (888-208-8702) and email ([email protected]) support channels. PFE earns revenue primarily through one-time certification fees, biennial renewal fees, exam retake fees, and unit-priced CEU courses. Its go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer self-serve enrollment, a channel partner network of 11 credit counseling, debt management, and bankruptcy education organizations (including Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay, Consumer Credit Counseling Foundation, Debthelper.com, Pioneer Credit Counseling, Safeguard Credit Counseling Services, and Trinity Debt Management), and inside/field sales for enterprise compliance inquiries.

The customer base is primarily U.S.-based debt management and financial services professionals, including bankruptcy counselors who must meet DOJ pre-bankruptcy certification requirements and consumer-facing staff in nine states (DE, KY, MN, NV, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA) where certification is a legal requirement under state attorney general mandates, with an additional six states (IA, PA, MT, MA, NH, IL) where it is highly recommended. The organization operates autonomously with no disclosed parent company, institutional funding, or M&A activity, and reports 11-50 employees headquartered in Newport Beach, California (with firmographic data indicating Boca Raton as an associated city).

Name

Partnership for Financial Education

Legal name

Partnership for Financial Education

Website

https://financialed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Partnership for Financial Education provides online professional certification (CDMP and CDS) and continuing education for U.S. debt management, debt settlement, and bankruptcy counseling professionals, with recognized credentials meeting state and DOJ regulatory requirements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Credit Counseling & Budgeting (FSAEAFAA), Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP) (FSAKAJAH), Bankruptcy Counseling & Pre-Filing Education (FSAEAFAG)

Keywords

• Debt management certification
• Financial counselor training
• Debt settlement certification
• Professional certification programs
• Credit counseling education

Headquarters

HQ city

Boca Raton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: One-time certification fees for CDMP and CDS programs. Certifications are valid for two years from exam date. Renewal fees apply after the two-year period.
2. Continuing Education Units (CEUs): Sale of CEU courses including Ethics CEU ($35) and Preparing for College CEU ($35). Required 16 CEUs per two-year renewal cycle.
3. Exam Retake Fees: $50 fee for exam retakes. Unlimited retakes allowed at individual/agency discretion.
4. Certification Renewal Fees: $50 renewal fee for two-year certification extension. Requires completion of 16 CEUs and submission of verification documentation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Partnership for Financial Education provides professional certification programs—Certified Personal Debt Management Counselor (CDMP) and Certified Debt Settlement Specialist (CDS)—for individuals performing debt management and debt settlement services for consumers in financial distress. The offerings include structured curricula, proctored closed-book exams, and a continuing education unit (CEU) system required for two-year certification renewal, all designed to meet Uniform Debt Management Services Act (UDMSA), state attorney general, and U.S. Department of Justice pre-bankruptcy counseling requirements.

Product overview

The Partnership for Financial Education offers a certification platform with two primary professional certification programs: Certified Personal Debt Management Counselor (CDMP) and Certified Debt Settlement Specialist (CDS). Both certification programs prepare professionals working with consumers in debt management and settlement services, featuring multi-module curricula with exam requirements. The platform supplements these core certifications with continuing education units (Ethics CEU and Preparing for College CEU) that fulfill the 16 CEU renewal requirement over a two-year certification cycle. All programs are designed to meet compliance requirements under UDMSA and state-specific regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Certified Personal Debt Management Professional (CDMP): Certification program for individuals performing Debt Management Services for consumers in financial distress
• Certified Debt Specialist (CDS)

Products and services

• Certified Personal Debt Management Counselor (CDMP) Professional certification program for individuals performing Debt Management Services for consumers in financial distress. Covers communication, personal financial management, housing, student loans, consumer protection laws, and resource materials across a 5-part curriculum, with a 100-question proctored closed-book exam requiring a 70% passing score. Certification is valid for two years.
• Certified Debt Settlement Specialist (CDS) Professional certification program for individuals performing Debt Settlement Services for consumers in financial distress. Curriculum spans 12 modules covering debt relief options, suitability assessment, lending process, debt collection, credit repair, negotiation techniques, ethical conduct, consumer credit laws, and client education. Certification is valid for two years.
• Ethics CEU 1-hour continuing education unit covering ethical business practices for debt relief professionals. Required for re-certification, providing 1 CEU credit in Ethics. Priced at $35.00 per CEU.
• Preparing for College CEU 1-hour continuing education unit providing 1 General CEU credit toward the 15 General CEU requirement for certification renewal. Priced at $35.00 per CEU.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Charities Of The Diocese Of Green Bay Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNon-profit partner organization providing social services. Uses PFE certification for debt management counseling staff serving consumers in financial distress in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area.
• Consumer Credit Counseling FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNon-profit credit counseling organization. Requires PFE certification for counselors providing debt management and financial counseling services.
• Credit Card Management Services Inc. (Debthelper.com)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDebt relief services company operating Debthelper.com. Partner company requiring staff certification through PFE for debt management services.
• Igrad.ComminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial education platform partner offering educational resources. Affiliated with PFE certification network.
• Maui Economic Opportunity Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNon-profit community services organization on Maui providing economic opportunity programs. Uses PFE certification for financial counseling staff.
• Pioneer Credit CounselingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCredit counseling organization requiring PFE certification for professional staff providing debt management and credit counseling services.
• Safeguard Credit Counseling Services, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCredit counseling services company. Partner in PFE certification network with staff certified through CDMP and CDS programs.
• Second Bankruptcy Course, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBankruptcy education course provider. Partner company requiring PFE certification for counselors providing pre-bankruptcy credit counseling.
• SolutionaryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDebt management solutions company. Partner organization in PFE certification network.
• Trinity Debt ManagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDebt management services company. Partner requiring PFE certification for counselors assisting consumers with debt management plans.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions: Clearpoint Credit Counseling is a nonprofit credit counseling agency providing debt management, bankruptcy counseling, and financial education. Its employed counselors are part of PFE's target certifying population, making it a relevant partner and indirect competitor.
• Money Management International (MMI): MMI is one of the largest credit counseling agencies in the U.S. and provides required pre-bankruptcy counseling. While MMI is primarily a credit counseling service provider, it competes indirectly with PFE's certified counselors and is a potential large-scale channel partner or competitor for in-house certification.
• Take Charge America: Take Charge America is a nonprofit credit counseling agency providing debt management, housing counseling, and financial education services. Its employed counselors are part of PFE's certification customer base and serve as a representative peer in the credit counseling ecosystem.
• Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp: Cambridge Credit Counseling is a credit counseling agency that operates debt management programs and uses certified counselors. It is comparable to PFE's partner credit counseling firms and represents a similar target customer profile.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: GreenPath is a major nonprofit credit counseling agency that employs certified counselors to provide debt management and financial counseling services. As one of the largest agencies in the debt management field, GreenPath is a key potential partner or competitor for PFE's certification services.
• Apprisen (formerly Consumer Credit Counseling Service): Apprisen is a nonprofit credit counseling agency providing debt management and financial counseling services across multiple U.S. states. Its certified counselors and requirement for state-approved certifications place it in PFE's target market.

Broad incumbents

• Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA): FCAA is the trade association for the credit counseling industry and provides professional development resources. It represents many of the same partner organizations that work with PFE and serves as an industry body that could compete with or complement PFE's certification offerings.
• InCharge Education Foundation: InCharge Education Foundation provides financial education and counseling services, including pre-bankruptcy counseling. As a major player in financial education and counseling, it serves overlapping customer segments and offers some competing educational content relevant to PFE's CEU offerings.
• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): NFCC is the largest national credit counseling industry association and provides certification programs (e.g., Certified Housing Counselor) for credit counseling professionals. While broader in scope, NFCC serves the same target market of debt management and credit counseling professionals that PFE certifies.

Direct peers

• AFCPE (Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education): AFCPE offers the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) certification and is a direct competitor in professional financial counseling certification. Both organizations target financial services professionals with certification and continuing education programs, making AFCPE the closest comparable in terms of product and customer profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partnership-for-financial-education

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 Partnership for Financial Education