Where to get free, trusted help with money and credit

This page lists free, trusted places for money and credit help. It is general information, not financial advice. DNLH does not give one on one money advice.

What kind of help do I need?

Different helpers do different things. Match your need:

Mission Asset Fund and the MyMAF app

Mission Asset Fund (MAF) is a San Francisco nonprofit that works with immigrant and low income families. It offers online money workshops, one on one meetings with a financial coach, and a free app.

MyMAF is free. What MAF says it includes:

• A personal action plan with clear steps for your goal
• Short video courses on credit, saving, debt and budgeting
• Your FICO credit score, with what affects it
• An AI chatbot that points you to resources
• Reminders you control

MyMAF runs in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. You need an internet connection. MAF says you can use your browser's translate feature to read it in other languages. MAF also says the app does not replace professional financial advice.

MAF also runs Lending Circles to build credit, small business loans, and 0% loans for some USCIS fees.

• Financial Services (Mission Asset Fund)
• MyMAF (Mission Asset Fund)

SparkPoint centers

SparkPoint is a United Way Bay Area program. Its centers offer free one on one financial coaching to help families meet basic needs, raise income, build credit, grow savings and cut debt. United Way says it costs participants nothing.

What a SparkPoint coach can help with:

• Budgeting, credit repair and tax help
• Job search and job training
• Food, rent help and signing up for benefits
• Long term goals, like savings and paying down debt

Coaches work with you over time, not just once. The program page has a section to find a local center, but it did not list centers when we checked on October 21, 2026. Use the page's contact form, or dial 211, to find the center nearest you, and ask which languages it offers.

• SparkPoint (United Way Bay Area)

Nonprofit credit counselors

A credit counselor helps when debts feel out of control. The CFPB says credit counselors can:

• Help you make a budget
• Advise you on money and debts
• Help you get your credit report and scores
• Offer free classes and materials
• Set up a debt management plan, where you make one monthly payment and they pay your creditors

The CFPB says most of these groups are nonprofits, though some still charge fees for some services. To find one, it points to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the Financial Counseling Association of America, and the U.S. Department of Justice list of approved credit counselors.

Before you sign up, ask:

• What services do you offer? (A good one offers more than a debt plan.)
• Is your information free? (Walk away if they charge for basic information.)
• What are your fees? Put it in writing.
• Will you help me if I cannot pay a fee?
• Are your staff paid more if I sign up for certain services?

If you do choose a debt management plan, the CFPB suggests you call your creditors and confirm they accepted it before you send money.

• What is credit counseling? (CFPB)

The Ventanilla at the Mexican Consulate

The Mexican Consulate in San Francisco has a Ventanilla de Asesoría Financiera (Financial Advice Window). It gives money information and classes to the Mexican community.

What the San Francisco consulate page says (last updated September 2023):

• The Ventanilla helps people learn about and sign up for the FINABIEN cards, a way to send money to Mexico.
• The consulate itself does not open bank accounts. It gives information and guidance.
• The FINABIEN U.S. card can be requested at the Ventanilla at no cost with a matrícula consular, U.S. driver's license, Mexican or U.S. passport, or a current INE.
• Walk in hours for the cards were listed as Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., with no appointment.
• Contact: comunidadessfr@sre.gob.mx or (415) 354-1700 ext. 1717.

That page is three years old. Call or email before you go to confirm hours and services. Live closer to San Jose? Call the Mexican Consulate in San Jose and ask whether it offers financial advice services.

Sending money home? Fees and taxes matter. Since January 1, 2026, a 1% federal tax applies when you pay a money transfer company with cash, a money order or a cashier's check. It does not apply when you pay from a bank or credit union account or with a U.S. debit or credit card (26 U.S.C. 4475). See The new federal tax on money sent abroad.

Free tax and bank help

• Free tax filing with an ITIN: see Where to get free tax help if you file with an ITIN. Filing can also bring back money through state credits. See CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit with an ITIN.
• A safe, low cost bank account: see Open a bank account with an ITIN or consular ID.
• Business owners: Accion Opportunity Fund offers free one on one business advice in English and Spanish. See also Free small business coaching in the Bay Area.

How do I know the help is trustworthy?

Good help:

• Is free, or tells you any fee in writing first
• Gives you information before asking for your personal details
• Explains your choices instead of pushing one product
• Does not rush you to sign
• Never asks for your bank password or the code texted to your phone

Walk away if someone:

• Charges before doing any work
• Promises to wipe out debt or fix your credit fast
• Asks you to pay with gift cards, a wire or a payment app to someone you do not know
• Says they are from the government and wants money by phone or text. Real government sites end in .gov.

Where do I complain?

If a bank, lender, debt collector, check casher or app treated you unfairly:

• California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI): online, by mail, or call 1-866-275-2677 for help with the form. It serves residents in more than 240 languages. Submit a complaint (dfpi.ca.gov)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): online or (855) 411-2372. Submit a complaint (consumerfinance.gov)

Keep copies of letters, texts, receipts and screenshots. Write down dates and names.

Common questions

Can I get help if I do not have papers? Yes. The helpers on this page do not list immigration status as a rule for their free classes or coaching. Ask each one what they need from you. Share only what is needed.

Can I get help in Spanish? Often, yes. DFPI offers translation in more than 240 languages. 211 Bay Area has phone help in many languages. Ask each coach or program which languages it offers.

Do I have to share my income? A coach can help you best if you share your real numbers. You choose what to share. A good helper explains why they ask.

Is MyMAF the same as talking to a person? No. It is an app with lessons and an AI chatbot. For a person, ask MAF about one on one coaching, or go to SparkPoint.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Mission Asset Fund: coaching, workshops, the free MyMAF app, Lending Circles. 3269 Mission Street, San Francisco. missionassetfund.org
• SparkPoint, United Way Bay Area: free financial coaching at local centers. uwba.org
• Nonprofit credit counselors: find them through the CFPB's guidance. consumerfinance.gov
• Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, Ventanilla de Asesoría Financiera: comunidadessfr@sre.gob.mx, (415) 354-1700 ext. 1717 (call to confirm)
• 211 Bay Area: dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. See 211: free help finding local services.
• California DFPI: 1-866-275-2677. dfpi.ca.gov
• CFPB: (855) 411-2372. consumerfinance.gov/complaint

Asking for help with money takes courage. You are not behind for asking. You are moving forward.