Cornerstone
A licensing specialist for regulated financial-services companies, covering lending, debt collection, money transmitter, and mortgage, with surety bonds placed in-house.
Nationwide Licensing System
A private licensing service focused on mortgage and money-services licensing.
| Feature | Cornerstone | Nationwide Licensing System |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A financial-services licensing specialist | A private mortgage and money-services licensing service |
| Scope of licenses | Lending, debt collection, money transmitter, and mortgage | Mortgage and money-services focused |
| Surety bonds | Placed in-house and filed with the license | Typically arranged separately |
| Relationship to NMLS | Files through NMLS where states require it | Files through NMLS where states require it |
| Ongoing renewals | Tracked per license with bonds kept current | Renewal support within its license focus |
Best for
Pick Cornerstone
Choose Cornerstone if you need licensing across lending, money transmission, collections, or mortgage and want the surety bond placed with the filing.
Best for
Pick Nationwide Licensing System
A mortgage and money-services focused service can fit if those are the only license categories your business needs.
Clearing up the name first
Nationwide Licensing System is a private company that helps businesses obtain licenses. It is not the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), the government system that states use to process mortgage and money-services applications. Both Cornerstone and a private licensing service file through NMLS when a state requires it, so the question is which partner runs the filing for you, not which one uses NMLS.
Where each fits
A mortgage and money-services focused service can be a good match if those are the only license categories you need. Cornerstone covers a wider regulated set: consumer and commercial lending, debt collection and debt buying, money transmitter and money-services businesses, and mortgage. Because nearly all of these licenses require a surety bond, we place the bond in-house and file it with the application instead of handing you off to a separate broker.
If your business spans lending and money transmission, or you want the license and bond handled in one workflow, that breadth and the combined process are where Cornerstone fits. Compare on the exact licenses you need in the states where you operate.
See our licensing services and state licensing summaries, or talk with our team.
Frequently asked
- Is Nationwide Licensing System the same as NMLS?
- No. NMLS is the government Nationwide Multistate Licensing System that states use to process applications. Nationwide Licensing System is a private licensing service. They are different things despite the similar name.
- Do I have to use a service to file through NMLS?
- No. You can file through NMLS yourself, but many companies use a licensing partner to prepare the forms, manage exhibits, place bonds, and track renewals across states.