Debthelper.com wins Torch Award recognized by BBB Serving Southeast Florida & the Caribbean for its commitment to ethical business practices.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Credit Card Management Services, Inc., doing business as Debthelper.com, has been named a 2026 Winner of the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics in the medium sized business category by BBB Serving Southeast Florida & the Caribbean.
The BBB Torch Awards for Ethics recognize businesses and nonprofits that demonstrate a commitment to ethical business practices and building trust with customers, employees and their communities.
For Debthelper, founded in 1996, the recognition comes as the nonprofit approaches three decades of providing consumer financial education, credit counseling, debt management and housing counseling services.
"People often come to us during one of the most stressful financial periods of their lives, and that creates a tremendous responsibility," said Paul L. Donohue, Jr., President and Founder of Debthelper.com. "Our responsibility is to give consumers accurate information, explain their choices clearly and treat every person with dignity and respect. Receiving the 2026 BBB Torch Awards for Ethics is meaningful because those principles have guided Debthelper since its beginning."
Ethics Begins With Education
Debthelper incorporates ethics into its everyday operations, employee training and professional development.
Staff providing credit counseling are required to become certified, and continuing education includes at least one hour of ethics training biannually. Training reinforces ethical decision-making, regulatory compliance, transparency and the responsibilities involved in counseling consumers facing financial hardship.
Employees are also reminded that Debthelper's reputation is earned one consumer at a time.
The nonprofit has accumulated thousands of consumer reviews across Google, BBB and Facebook, providing employees with a highly visible measure of how consumers perceive their service.
Debthelper clients have also submitted more than 100 video testimonials, among the largest collections in the credit counseling industry. These firsthand accounts provide another measure of accountability while allowing prospective consumers to hear directly from people who have used Debthelper's services.
Creating a Culture of Trust
Debthelper works to create an environment in which employees are encouraged to communicate, contribute ideas and recognize excellence in one another.
The company conducts monthly communications meetings where employees receive updates, discuss issues and contribute ideas for improving operations and consumer service.
Employees can nominate coworkers for Above the Line Awards, recognizing colleagues who demonstrate exceptional effort, service and commitment to the company's standards.
Debthelper also recognizes its employees through team lunches, happy hours and other employee rewards and activities. Professional education and certification provide additional opportunities for employees to develop their skills and advance their knowledge.
The goal is to create a workplace where employees understand that ethical service is everyone's responsibility rather than solely a function of management or compliance.
Transparency With Consumers
Consumers who contact Debthelper may be facing credit card debt, housing difficulties, bankruptcy, credit concerns or other significant financial decisions.
That makes transparency particularly important.
Debthelper counselors are expected to explain available options, fees and potential outcomes clearly so consumers can make informed decisions. Counselors are encouraged to identify solutions based upon the consumer's circumstances, including situations where another course of action may be more appropriate than enrolling in a Debthelper program.
This approach reflects a simple principle that has guided the nonprofit throughout its history: the consumer's financial well-being should come before making a sale.
Taking Financial Education Into the Community
Debthelper's commitment to financial education extends beyond consumers who contact the nonprofit directly.
Through its work with Community Action and Parks to Work, Debthelper helps provide practical financial education to underserved members of the community, including people experiencing homelessness who are working toward greater financial independence.
Debthelper has also worked to help prevent recidivism by educating incarcerated individuals about personal finance before reentry into the community. Financial education can address practical challenges individuals encounter after release by providing instruction in budgeting, credit, debt management and responsible financial decision-making.
Employees are encouraged to participate in community activities, while Debthelper contributes staff expertise, financial education, counseling and other in-kind resources to programs consistent with its nonprofit mission.
Nearly 30 Years of Financial Education
Founded in 1996, Credit Card Management Services, Inc. d/b/a Debthelper.com is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Debthelper provides debt management plans, credit and budget counseling, bankruptcy education, HUD housing counseling, Home Equity Conversion Mortgage counseling, first-time homebuyer education, credit education and other consumer financial education services.
The organization is a HUD-approved Multi-State Housing Counseling Organization and serves consumers across much of the United States.
"This award belongs to our employees," Donohue said. "Ethics is demonstrated in thousands of individual decisions—how we explain something to a consumer, how we respond when someone has a problem, and whether we are willing to recommend what is right for that person. Our team makes those decisions every day."
About Debthelper.com
Credit Card Management Services, Inc. d.b.a. Debthelper.com is an IRS Approved 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Florida Corporation founded in 1996 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Its mission is:
"Credit Card Management Services, Inc. d.b.a. Debthelper.com is an IRS Approved 501c3 Non-Profit Florida Corporation dedicated to its mission to educate, advise and empower youth to seniors to handle debt, credit and housing and to provide affordable housing opportunities through the acquisition and rehabilitation of residential properties."
Media Contact
Annie Drapeau, Credit Card Management Services, Inc. d/b/a Debthelper.com, West Palm Beach, Florida, Debthelper.com, 1 5614728003 8003, community at debthelper dot com, [email protected], https://www.debthelper.com
SOURCE Debthelper.com
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