Missouri non-profit credit counseling agencies for debt, credit repair and budget help
Missouri residents can get help with debt from nonprofit agencies, most of which offer free or income-based services. Some have offices in the St. Louis, Kansas City, or Springfield areas. Others work with people anywhere in Missouri by phone. A counselor reviews your income, debts, and credit report for free and helps you decide how to handle what you owe and how to reduce the amount of debt you have.
This page covers what credit counseling covers, contact information and lists the agencies by area. It starts with the metros and Springfield, then lists the national nonprofits that serve all of Missouri by phone. Whether you can make it to an office or not, it is possible to get help from a credit counselor. You will find what they do, how to reach them, and how to avoid debt relief scams on this page.
- SCAM WARNING: Debt relief is an area where scams are common, so check a company carefully before you pay or share account numbers. There should never be upfront costs just to talk, promises made by the agency and do not share financial information - see more details on potential scams below.
St. Louis area
Justine Petersen
Based on North Grand Boulevard in St. Louis, Justine Petersen works mainly with people who have limited or damaged credit. A counselor builds a credit action plan with you, which may include opening a small credit-builder loan or a secured card - which we have more details about on the guide to prepaid debit cards for people without a bank account.
There will often be discussions about paying down balances and correcting errors on your report. As a HUD-certified agency, it also offers home-buying preparation and foreclosure prevention counseling, and it makes small business loans through its lending program. Reach it at (314) 533-2411 or https://justinepetersen.org/. The office is at 1023 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106.
Money Management International
Money Management International, or MMI, keeps an office in south St. Louis County and is one of the largest nonprofit counseling agencies in the country. Long-time residents may know it under the ClearPoint name, which is now part of MMI. A counselor can set up a debt management plan that lowers your interest and combines your card payments into one, and the agency also handles housing and foreclosure counseling, student loans, and the counseling required for bankruptcy.
In-person visits are often by appointment on Tuesday through Thursday - but contact them for the latest schedule. Phone counseling runs around the clock if you cannot visit in person. The office is at 3636 S Geyer Rd, Ste. 100, St. Louis, MO 63127. Call (314) 421-1199 for an appointment, or reach a phone counselor any time at (866) 889-9347. Learn more at https://www.moneymanagement.org/locations.
Kansas City area
Community Services League
Community Services League serves Eastern Jackson County from its main office in Independence, with other sites in Blue Springs, Buckner, Grain Valley, and Oak Grove. A financial coach works with you on a budget and a plan to pay down debt and start saving. Through its NextStepKC program (website: https://www.nextstepkc.org/), it may be able to pay off high-interest payday, title, and installment loans and replace them with one affordable loan, and it issues secured cards to help people rebuild credit. As a HUD-certified agency, it also provides foreclosure and housing counseling. Reach it at (816) 254-4100 or https://www.cslcares.org/. The main office is at 404 N Noland Rd, Independence, MO 64050.
Springfield and southwest Missouri
Cambridge Credit Counseling
The longtime Springfield credit counseling office, once called Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Ozarks, is now a branch of Cambridge Credit Counseling, a national nonprofit. The Springfield office still serves southwest Missouri in person. Counselors help you build a budget, review your credit, and set up a debt management plan that lowers the interest on your cards.
Cambridge also offers housing and foreclosure counseling, student loan counseling, and the counseling required for bankruptcy. The office is at 1515 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65804. Call the Springfield branch at (417) 889-7474, or reach Cambridge for new accounts at (800) 235-1407. Learn more at https://cambridge-credit.org/.
Free financial education across Missouri
University of Missouri Extension
For free help learning to budget, understand credit, and manage money, University of Missouri Extension offers personal and family finance education in counties across the state. It does not set up debt management plans, but its classes and guides are a good way to learn these skills on your own. Find programs and materials at https://extension.missouri.edu/.
Nonprofit agencies that serve all of Missouri by phone
Several national nonprofits work with Missouri residents by phone and online, with no office visit required. Each is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Note Money Management International (MMI) listed above covers not just St. Louis but they also cover all parts of the state.
Apprisen
Apprisen has been counseling people for more than seventy years, and many Kansas City residents knew it as their local credit counseling service before it changed its name. It now serves Missouri by phone and online. A counselor reviews your credit report with you in a credit health session, sets up a debt management plan when that is the right step, and can build a budgeting and savings plan with you. Call (800) 355-2227 or go to https://www.apprisen.com/.
GreenPath Financial Wellness
GreenPath has helped people with debt since 1961 and serves all fifty states. In one phone call, a Missouri resident can get a budget review, a look at the credit report, and a recommendation on whether a debt management plan would lower their interest. GreenPath also answers student loan questions and provides foreclosure prevention counseling. There is no office to visit; everything is handled by phone or online. Call (800) 550-1961 or go to https://www.greenpath.com/.
InCharge Debt Solutions
InCharge is one of the largest nonprofit credit counseling agencies in the country and has worked with people since 1997. The first counseling session is free, by phone or online, with no pressure to sign up for anything. If a debt management plan makes sense for you, InCharge works with your card companies to lower the interest and replace your separate card bills with one monthly payment. It also provides housing and foreclosure counseling, student loan help, the counseling required for bankruptcy, and money guidance designed for service members and veterans. Call (800) 565-8953 or go to https://www.incharge.org/.
How to spot a debt relief scam
A real nonprofit looks at your whole budget first and is clear about any fees from the start. Be cautious with a company that asks for a large payment before it does anything, says it can cancel most of what you owe for a small fee, or promises an exact gain in your credit score. A company that tells you to stop paying your creditors, or to stop answering them, is a warning sign, since that path often ends in lawsuits and a lower score.
Keep in mind that for-profit debt settlement is not the same as nonprofit credit counseling. Settlement firms usually charge more and may hold your payments for months while your credit score drops. To check a company's record or report one, reach the Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at https://ago.mo.gov/ or (800) 392-8222. To confirm that an agency is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, visit https://www.nfcc.org. If you are considering bankruptcy, the U.S. Trustee Program lists approved agencies at justice.gov/ust. Our guide on how to avoid financial assistance scams covers more warning signs.
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