Hey friends, welcome back to episode 956 of The Money Girl podcast.

I'm Laura Adams, an award-winning author, on-camera spokesperson, money speaker, and founder

of the Money Stack.

That's my sub-stack newsletter.

And, of course, host of money girl with over 44 million downloads you

can always connect and learn how to work with me at laura d adams dot com today we're going to be talking

about debt i am super excited about this show you know having manageable debt can be part of a very healthy financial life.

But if you've ever felt stressed or overwhelmed by debt, you're not alone. Whether you caused a

bad debt problem or it resulted from hardships entirely beyond your control, help is available. So today, I hope to

demystify the world of credit counseling and debt solutions with my terrific guest, Thomas Nietzsche.

Thomas is the vice president of public relations at Money Management International, or MMI. They're a non-profit with over 60

years of experience providing financial counseling. MMI's advice and education encompass debt

repayment options, credit counseling, bankruptcy, natural disaster recovery, home buying, reverse mortgages, student loans,

and other financial issues. You can learn more about them at moneymanagement.org. Thomas has vast

financial experience, including financial counseling during the Great Recession. He supported

thousands of individuals facing mortgage

and debt hardships, offering proven strategies for improving their financial lives. Now he's committed

to reducing stigma around debt and sharing MMI's mission to help clients overcome debt challenges

with education, tools, and support.

We have a great conversation discussing common debt management mistakes and how to overcome them,

signs your debt has gotten out of control, or that you need help, how various debt solutions

work, and how long they take, whether you have

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