About the National Financial Education Center

Thank you for visiting the National Financial Education Center. Established in 2007, the National Financial Education Center is a "hands on" organization committed to helping individuals and households increase their financial skills, improve their consumer behaviors, reach their financial goals, and address their past financial mistakes. While there are many nonprofit agencies that promote themselves as being committed to financial education, the National Financial Education Center goes a step beyond. Rather than just develop brochures and pass out flyers "about" financial education, we view ourselves as the foot soldiers in the fight against financial illiteracy. Among our projects are:

  • Hundreds of live seminars every year to thousands of individuals
  • Free, online series of webinars accessible 24-7 with certificates of completion
  • Monthly "eTips" sent to thousands of individuals with 3-10 helpful and easy-to-follow financial tips
  • Newsletters to thousands each month that provide insight and suggestions to improve their financial skills
  • Guest speakers at general interest and financial-related conferences
Contact us today toll-free at (877) 688-3328 for more information about our programs or to schedule a guest speaker for your organization.

Mission

"Our mission at the National Financial Education Center at Debt Reduction Services Inc. is to promote financial responsibility in our community members nationwide. We accomplish this through educational programs, counseling, and personalized services. We thus empower individuals to develop and use positive budgeting skills and effective spending behaviors, to use credit wisely, and to prevent, manage, and eliminate consumer debt."

Corporate History of the National Financial Education Center at Debt Reduction Services, Inc.

Formed in May 1996 by current President, Joseph Cestaro, and Vice-president Thomas Drechsler, Debt Reduction Services, Inc. (DRS) is a Boise, Idaho-based, nationwide non-profit credit counseling organization. As such, DRS sponsors financial literacy education, provides household budget counseling, and administers a debt management program, all with the goal of helping individuals and groups achieve greater financial responsibility and security. A year later, they hired their first full-time employee. In the years since, DRS has opened more than a dozen additional offices from Anchorage, Alaska to Long Island, New York. Currently, DRS’s headquarters occupies approximately 10,000 square feet of office space located at 6213 North Cloverdale Road, Suite 100 in Boise. With continued and consistent company growth, the company now employs over 70 staff members across the country.

In 2007, DRS established the National Financial Education Center, a resource of personnel, materials and support dedicated solely to developing and facilitating financial education programs for clients and the general public. DRS has consistently increased the number of monthly presentations it facilitates each year since 2004. In 2004, DRS financial educators averaged 16 presentations per month. By the end of 2007, it was over 70 per month. Monthly attendance has also increased from 322 individuals per month in 2004 to as much as 625. DRS encourages its employees to get involved in our communities. Thus, several staff members have been active in community organization leadership boards, including the Jump$tart Coalition and the Department of Labor Employers Association. Many others donate time and energies to worthy causes, from keeping our highways clean to raising money for medical research.

DRS Inc is accredited by ISO 9001: 2000, an internationally recognized standard, and is a registered member of Boise’s Better Business Bureau. DRS also belongs to a national trade group of credit counselors, the American Association of Debt Management Organizations.

About Our Financial Educators

Todd Christensen
Director of Education

Born and raised in the American West with instructional, marketing, managerial, and high-tech skills as well as business ownership experience, Todd Christensen directs the National Financial Education Center at Debt Reduction Services, Inc., a nationwide non-profit credit counseling organization headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
As a certified personal finance counselor, Todd develops the client and community educational programs and materials that teach day-to-day money management skills to individuals from all walks of life. Among other things, he enjoys his visits to high schools where he teaches wise credit usage. His professional satisfaction results from helping others discover their own ability and opportunities to build a stable and secure financial future.
Todd speaks French and Spanish, has lived in four countries, has a passion for history, cultures, and travel, and enjoys a variety of team and individual sports.

Robin Hollingsworth
Financial Educator

With decades of entrepreneurial and trainer experience and as a certified personal finance counselor at the National Financial Education Center, Robin facilitates the majority of our personal finance presentations. She's worked on numerous committees and boards at the state, local, nonprofit and faith-based levels, including involvement in military family support.
Robin is also our resident certified master gardener, having worked with the county extension through a local university.

Branch Managers

The dedicated and hardworking managers in each of our branch offices nationwide bring with them substantial experience in helping individuals address their personal finance challenges. As certified credit counselors, each of them focus their extensive energies on providing resources and assistance to classes, couples, individuals, and groups of all types.