Money Advice Liaison Group

What Money Advice Liaison Group does

Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation established in 1987 and structured as a company limited by guarantee (Company Registration No. 9910366). Its stated purpose is to galvanise organisations across the debt advice and credit value chain to work together to improve outcomes for people with problem debt. The organisation convenes a cross-sector constituency of over 200 member organisations spanning debt advice charities (StepChange, Citizens Advice, Money Advice Trust), creditors and financial institutions (Nationwide Building Society, Vanquis Banking Group, Tandem Bank, PRA Group), debt collection trade bodies (Credit Services Association, Finance & Leasing Association), government departments (Department for Work & Pensions), regulators (Financial Conduct Authority), utilities (British Gas Energy Trust), fintech firms, and think tanks.

MALG delivers value through structured convening platforms rather than technology products. Core offerings include National Members' Meetings, the Members' Friday Forum, eight UK regional groups (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Midlands, North West, North East & Yorkshire, South East, South West, East Anglia), an annual conference, a podcast series, and collaboratively developed publications such as the Mental Health and Debt Guidelines and the GDPR and Vulnerability Guide. The organisation also runs research initiatives on emerging topics including buy-now-pay-later intermediation and generative AI in self-serve debt advice. MALG does not offer a proprietary software platform, API, or SDK.

MALG's commercial model is built on recurring annual membership subscriptions, with pricing tiers not publicly disclosed and membership allocated on an application basis. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct outreach to organisations across the debt advice and credit sectors, with no evidence of external funding, M&A activity, or capital-raising events. The organisation is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Council populated by senior practitioners from member organisations, and is operationally led by an Executive Officer.

Name

Money Advice Liaison Group

Legal name

Money Advice Liaison Group Limited

Website

https://malg.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) is a UK not-for-profit membership organisation, founded in 1987, that convenes over 200 organisations across the debt advice and credit sectors to develop best practice, publish guidance, and coordinate responses for people with problem debt.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Debt Advice Sector Membership Organisation

NAICS

Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance (FSAEAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP) (FSAKAJAH), Credit Repair, Debt Relief & Bankruptcy Referrals (FSAEAMAH)

Keywords

• Debt advice collaboration
• Creditor engagement services
• Membership organisation sector
• Financial vulnerability guidance
• Money advice sector forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Market Harborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: MALG generates revenue through membership fees. Organisations apply for or renew MALG membership to gain access to networking, resources, best practice guidelines, and industry collaboration opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MALG operates a UK membership scheme for organisations involved in debt advice, credit, and financial inclusion. Its core offering centres on convening creditors, debt advice charities, government bodies, regulators, and welfare services through national and regional meetings, an annual conference, a podcast, working groups, and best-practice publications. Members gain access to collaboration forums, guidelines (e.g., Mental Health and Debt), research, and a public member directory.

Product overview

MALG (Money Advice Liaison Group) is a not-for-profit UK membership organisation that serves as a collaborative platform connecting creditors, debt advice charities, government departments, welfare services, think tanks, fintech companies, and financial capability champions. The organisation does not offer a traditional software product but provides a suite of membership services including regular national and regional meetings (Members' Meetings, Friday Forum), an annual conference, a podcast series, and published guidance documents (Mental Health and Debt Guidelines, GDPR and Vulnerability Guide). It also conducts research on emerging issues including AI in debt advice and BNPL intermediation. The MALG Members' Meeting forum and Friday Forum enable cross-sector dialogue, while publications and research resources support best practice development across the debt advice sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MALG Membership Annual organisational membership scheme for creditors, debt advice agencies, government bodies, regulators, housing associations, fintech firms, and other sector stakeholders, granting access to MALG resources, meetings, and the member directory.
• MALG National Members' Meetings Regular national-level meetings and forums that bring together creditors, debt advice agencies, and stakeholders to develop best practice and improve outcomes for people in debt.
• MALG Friday Forum Regular online discussion forum for members to share information and discuss current issues in the debt advice sector.
• MALG Regional Groups Eight UK regional networks (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Midlands, North West, North East & Yorkshire, South East, South West, East Anglia) facilitating local collaboration on money advice issues.
• MALG Annual Conference Annual national conference bringing together industry experts from across the money advice sector including creditors, debt advice agencies, government departments, welfare services, think tanks, fintech companies, financial capability champions, and service users.
• MALG Podcast Podcast series covering topics related to money advice, debt, and financial vulnerability.
• MALG Member Directory Online directory listing member organisations including creditors, debt advice charities, government departments, utilities, housing associations, and fintech companies.
• MALG Mental Health and Debt Guidelines Guidelines developed collaboratively by the debt advice and creditor sectors addressing the intersection of mental health and debt issues, available as a downloadable member resource.
• MALG and Money Advice Trust GDPR and Vulnerability Guide Guidance on data protection compliance and supporting vulnerable customers in debt advice contexts, published jointly with the Money Advice Trust.
• MALG and Money Advice Scotland Pensions & Debt Advice Gap Report Research report examining gaps in pensions and debt advice services, published jointly with Money Advice Scotland.
• Co-Creating Intermediation Tools for BNPL Users Research initiative developing tools to help financially vulnerable or over-indebted buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) users.
• MALG Self-Serve Debt Advice in the Generative AI Era Research Research examining the application of generative AI to self-serve debt advice.
• MALG Creditor Email List for Advisers Published list of creditor email addresses enabling money advisers to contact creditors directly, originally created to support continuity of advice during the coronavirus crisis.
• Priority vs. Poverty Summit 2023 Summit focused on addressing the intersection of financial hardship and poverty, convened in 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52% of people who received debt advice from Money Advice Service have a mental health condition - highlighting the need for coordinated approach between mental health and debt advice sectors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Money Advice ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMALG works closely with Money Advice Scotland on joint initiatives including the MALG and Money Advice Scotland Pensions & Debt Advice Gap Report. Money Advice Scotland also has representation on MALG's Board of Directors through Chief Executive Yvonne MacDermid.
• Citizens Advice ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizens Advice Scotland is a member of MALG and collaborates on policy development and best practice in the debt advice sector. They have jointly worked on initiatives to improve outcomes for people in financial difficulty.
• Money Advice TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoney Advice Trust is a member of MALG and works collaboratively on sector initiatives. They have partnered on the MALG and Money Advice Trust GDPR and Vulnerability Guide.
• StepChange Debt CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStepChange is MALG's largest debt advice charity member. They collaborate on policy advocacy, research, and best practice development for the debt advice sector.
• Citizens AdvicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizens Advice is a member of MALG and has collaborated on campaigns including the 'Taking Control' bailiff reform campaign. They work together on improving advice services for vulnerable consumers.
• Credit Services Association (CSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSA is the sole national trade association representing debt collection and debt purchase organisations. They partnered with MALG on the Vulnerability guide for debt collection and regularly collaborate on industry standards.
• Finance & Leasing Association (FLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLA partnered with UK Cards Association and worked with MALG members including Credit Services Association and Money Advice Trust on the Vulnerability: a guide for debt collection publication.
• GambleAwareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGambleAware collaborated with MALG on presentations at MALG Members Meetings about problem gambling and its connection to debt issues, providing training for money advisers.
• Accountant in Bankruptcy (Scotland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAiB is a member of MALG and has collaborated on maintaining the Common Financial Tool for Scotland following the introduction of the Standard Financial Statement in England and Wales.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Credit Services Association (CSA): The sole UK national trade association representing debt collection and debt purchase organisations. A direct peer to MALG: both convene the debt advice and creditor ecosystem, and CSA has partnered with MALG on vulnerability guides.
• Money Advice Scotland: Scotland's national money advice umbrella body and a core MALG partner (joint Pensions & Debt Advice Gap Report). Highly comparable in mission and constituency; differs only by regional scope.
• Institute of Money Advisers (IMA): UK professional body for money advisers, represented on MALG's Executive Council. Comparable professional convening function with a narrower focus on adviser training and standards.
• Money Advice Trust: UK charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline and is one of MALG's largest advice-charity members. Highly comparable in convening role, policy advocacy, and co-produced publications (e.g., GDPR and Vulnerability Guide).
• Advice UK: UK membership body for independent advice organisations. Directly comparable operating model (membership-based, convening, training, policy voice) and overlapping member constituencies with MALG.
• StepChange Debt Charity: The largest UK debt advice charity and a member of MALG. Comparable mission (improving outcomes for over-indebted households), heavy engagement with creditors and government, and joint working on policy and best practice.
• Debt Managers Standards Association: UK standards body for debt management firms. Comparable membership-based convening of the debt advice/management ecosystem and has direct governance representation on MALG's Board.

Broad incumbents

• Finance & Leasing Association (FLA): The UK trade association for the consumer credit, motor finance, and asset finance industries. Comparable as a sector convening body that has partnered with MALG members on the Vulnerability guide for debt collection.
• Citizens Advice: The largest UK advice charity network and a MALG member. Comparable as both an advice provider and a convener on consumer financial issues (e.g., joint 'Taking Control' bailiff reform campaign).

Regional players

• Building Societies Association (BSA): UK trade association for mutual lenders including Nationwide. Comparable convening and policy-influence function on consumer credit and vulnerability, and its members overlap significantly with MALG's creditor constituency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/malguk.bsky.social
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/money-advice-liaison-group-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Money Advice Liaison Group