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<section article="gfi" article_name="Financial Institutions" number="12-907" title_number="12" title_name="Miscellaneous Institutions and Activities" subtitle_number="9" subtitle_name="Maryland Debt Management Services Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>To qualify for a license, an applicant shall satisfy the Commissioner that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The applicant and each of the owners, officers, directors, and principals of the applicant has sufficient experience, character, financial responsibility, and general fitness to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Engage in the business of providing debt management services;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Warrant the belief that the debt management services business will be conducted lawfully, honestly, fairly, and efficiently; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Command the confidence of the public;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each agent acting on behalf of the applicant to manage a trust account required under § 12–917 of this subtitle has sufficient experience, character, financial responsibility, and general fitness to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Engage in the business of managing a trust account;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Warrant the belief that the management of the trust account will be conducted lawfully, honestly, fairly, and efficiently; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Command the confidence of the public;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The applicant has a net worth computed according to generally accepted accounting principles of at least $50,000, plus an additional net worth of $10,000 for each location at which debt management services will be provided to consumers, up to a maximum of $500,000 as provided in subsection (b) of this section; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Before providing counseling to a consumer, each debt management counselor employed by the applicant or the applicant’s agent will receive comprehensive training in counseling skills, personal finance, budgeting, and credit and debt management.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Commissioner may require a net worth of up to $500,000, subject to a consideration of the following:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The nature and volume of the business or proposed business of the applicant;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The amount, nature, quality, and liquidity of the assets of the applicant;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The amount and nature of the liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of the applicant;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The history of and prospects for the applicant to earn and retain income;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The quality of the operations of the applicant;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>The quality of the management of the applicant;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>The nature and quality of the person that has control of the applicant; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>Any other factor that the Commissioner considers relevant.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
