Quarterlytics / Financial Services / Financial - Credit Services / MoneyGram International

MoneyGram International

mgi · NYSE Financial Services
Claim this profile
Ticker mgi
Exchange NYSE
Sector Financial Services
Industry Financial - Credit Services
Employees 1001-5000
← All annual reports
FY2006 Annual Report · MoneyGram International
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
2006 Annual Report

MoneyGram 2006 Annual Report

A Letter from the CEO

To Our Shareholders:

Any way you measure it, 2006 was an outstanding year for MoneyGram
International. We achieved $1.16 billion in revenue, exceeding the $1 billion
threshold for the first time, and our global money transfer agent network
topped the 100,000 mark, closing the year at 110,000 locations.

Our financial results were driven by our money transfer business, which
delivered more than 40 percent growth in transaction volume. Money orders
and official checks continued their steady performance and our expanded
line of bill payment services delivered excellent results in 2006.

Since going public two and a half years ago, MoneyGram has made great
strides by pouring energy and resources into three critically important areas
for our business: developing and deploying technology; expanding the
MoneyGram global agent network; and building brand awareness. This very
intensive and focused approach has helped us to grow our business at a
rapid pace and establish MoneyGram as a global player in the marketplace.

MoneyGram’s value proposition of affordable, reliable and convenient
payment services has found a receptive and enthusiastic audience with
today’s consumers. This is reflected in our very healthy bottom-line and a
total of return of nearly 21 percent to our stockholders, over 5 percentage
points better than the S&P 500 total return for the year.

The numbers, however, tell only part of the story. A very important factor in
fueling MoneyGram’s tremendous growth in 2006 was the dedication of our
employees and management team. They appreciate how important
MoneyGram’s services are to families around the globe and they strive daily
to help us win customers and ensure that we keep them. Looking back on
the year, I’d like to highlight just a few of MoneyGram’s achievements,
thanks to this dedicated team:

• Net Income – Net income grew to a record $124.1 million.

• Transactions – Money transfer transactions grew 41 percent in 2006 over 

our record volumes in 2005.

• Agent Network – The money transfer agent network grew 24 percent,

reaching 110,000 locations at year-end. We re-signed the post offices in 
both the United Kingdom and Italy, and added a number of new agents 
including Telecom in Mexico, Banrural and Banco Industrial in Guatemala,
United Bank of Africa in Nigeria, Privat Bank and the Ukranian Post Office 
in the Ukraine, Nix Check Cashing and Rent-A-Center in the U.S.

• Retail Strategy – We opened kiosks and stores in France and Germany 

as part of our retail strategy to develop core service networks in 
those countries.

Our Purpose:

Helping people and businesses by

providing affordable, reliable, and

convenient payment services

Our Corporate Values:

Respect, Courage, Passion,

Integrity, Teamwork 

Philip W. Milne
Chairman, President and CEO

1

MoneyGram 2006 Annual Report

• Marketing – We installed more than 23,000 new MoneyGram signs 
around the globe, making it easier for consumers to find our agents.
We also worked closely with international agents in key markets 
to transform almost 700 locations into highly-visible,
MoneyGram-branded “red shops.”

• Website – A new user-friendly MoneyGram website was launched this 

year in 44 languages. It provides easy-to-understand information such as a 
new “price-it” feature and an enhanced agent locator.

• Product Development – Our on-going investment in technology has 

allowed us to branch out with an expanded suite of bill payment services,
and we continue to roll out enhancements to our money transfer service.
We continued rollout of our multi-currency system, and advancements in 
our AgentConnect® point-of-sale system are generating excitement
among major agents converting to this streamlined platform.

The list of accomplishments is much longer, but these highlights present a
clear picture of how MoneyGram is succeeding, and a preview of where we
are headed in 2007. I expect the pace will continue to be brisk but our focus
will remain the same: technology, network and branding — with an
unrelenting commitment to value for our consumers.

I want to thank our employees, the management team and the board of
directors for the strong support and commitment to MoneyGram. Success is
always a team effort. Together we can deliver affordable, reliable and
convenient services for our customers and success for our business partners
and stockholders.

I particularly want to extend my thanks to Bob Bohannon, who retired as
chairman of our board of directors at the end of 2006. Bob helped us put
MoneyGram on the map! He initially led the company in the mid ‘90s when
it was still Travelers Express. Bob helped shape our direction while at the
helm of our former parent company, Viad Corp, and envisioned the future of
MoneyGram as an independent organization. Bob was much more than my
manager for 13 years, he was my mentor. His talents will be missed by the
entire organization.

I look forward to 2007 and the opportunity ahead for MoneyGram.

Sincerely,

Philip W. Milne

Chairman, President and CEO

MoneyGram Global Giving

We strengthened our commitment to
the communities where we do business
this year with the introduction of an
expanded MoneyGram Global Giving
Program as well as our continued
support for Habitat for Humanity. In
2006 MoneyGram awarded grants of up
to $10,000 to dozens of non-profit
organizations providing community
services in three focus areas: basic needs
and affordable housing; education; and
global healthcare and disaster relief. We
also built 42 homes in 18 countries
around the globe with Habitat for
Humanity, and closer to home, more
than 100 MoneyGram employees joined
work crews on Habitat builds in
Minneapolis, Miami and Los Angeles.

2

e
l
b
a
d
r
o
f
f
A

Red Shops

Almost 700 MoneyGram agent
locations around the globe were
transformed into “red shops” in 2006,
making it easier for consumers to find
convenient neighborhood locations
where MoneyGram’s money transfer
service is available.

Edinburg

London

3

MoneyGram 2006 Annual Report

Delivering World Class Products And Services To Customers Around the Globe

Millions of customers around the globe – consumers, businesses and
financial institutions – trust MoneyGram International to deliver the
affordable, reliable and convenient payments services they want and 
need today.

For individuals living and working far from home, MoneyGram’s
international money transfer service provides a great solution for sending
money to family and friends. Others select MoneyGram’s bill payment
services when paying monthly bills. And of course the MoneyGram money
order, which has been a core product of the company since 1940, remains
the payment method of choice for millions.

MoneyGram is opening up a wide range of new services for both consumers
and businesses. Customers in the U.S. can now send money transfers or 
pay bills online through the MoneyGram eMoney Transfer service, as well as
conveniently pay for groceries or rent a car using a MoneyGram 
prepaid card.

MoneyGram’s new bill payment services enable consumers and businesses
to make payments by phone and by Web. We also provide a wide range of
ACH processing services and continue to deliver traditional official check and
money order products through thousands of financial institutions.

Shaping all these enhancements and services is our commitment to keep it
affordable, reliable and convenient.

Affordable

Technology continues to play a key role in increasing transaction speed,
automating and streamlining processes, and creating new functionality. This
has made our services more affordable and led to some notable
achievements in 2006:

• MoneyGram completed the rollout of simplified pricing for money transfer 
services in the U.S., an initiative that began in 2005. This pricing strategy 
reduced the number of pricing tiers making it more affordable for 
consumers and easier for agents to communicate the cost of 
sending money.

• New currencies were added or converted in an additional 29 countries 

during the past year, providing consumers with a wide array of currency 
payout options.

• We continued to automate and enhance MoneyGram’s online eMoney 

Transfer service, enabling us to offer even more affordable online fees as 
well as a new low-cost economy service.

• We launched a new in-person bill payment service which will be delivered 

through agents in our domestic network, giving consumers an easy,
low-cost method to pay their bills.

Providing affordable services for our consumers will continue to be a
cornerstone of our strategy in the years to come.

R
e
l
i
a
b
l
e

MoneyGram 2006 Annual Report

Reliable

Millions of families depend on us to safely send money home or pay the
bills. Thousands of  businesses count on us for payment services to move
money and drive commerce. This is a trust that MoneyGram takes 
very seriously.

MoneyGram implemented many changes to its technology platforms
designed to prevent or detect suspicious transactions. We also hired
compliance officers in many of our global offices to ensure compliance with
regulations of specific countries or regions. They administer “Know-Your-
Customer” reviews and analyze data from millions of transactions. We also
updated agent training programs to strengthen compliance programs
within the agent network, adding training manuals in several 
new languages.

Our point-of-sale systems are continually upgraded to provide the latest
new products and functionality. AgentConnect continues to be an attractive
alternative for businesses that choose to integrate their networks and 
point-of-sale platforms with the MoneyGram system. AgentConnect allows
agents to integrate the money transfer service with their internal security
and training processes. MoneyGram’s PC-based DeltaWorks® system is the
choice for many agents, large and small, that prefer a separate operating
platform. Finally, our FormFreeSM phone-based offering allows businesses to
reduce labor costs and create an excellent consumer experience by
leveraging MoneyGram’s world-class customer care center.

Our consumers and agents expect reliability and safety and that is precisely
what MoneyGram continues to deliver, transaction by transaction.

Red Shops

Frankfurt

Malaga

Madrid

4

t
n
e
i
n
e
v
n
o
C

MoneyGram 2006 Annual Report

Convenient

For customers, the word convenience means more choices and easy access.
In 2006, MoneyGram grew its money transfer agent network by 24 percent
to 110,000 locations in 170 countries and territories. The greatest increases in
“send” markets occurred in the United States, Spain, Italy, the United
Kingdom and Greece. The top agent expansion in “receive” markets occurred
in Mexico, India, Guatemala, Nigeria and China.

Due to regulatory requirements and consumer demand in Germany and
France, MoneyGram opened company stores in both countries. These stores
are located in major cities with the greatest concentration of immigrants.

To support this rapid expansion, we added more than 23,000 MoneyGram
signs around the globe. We also collaborated with money transfer agents in
Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, India and Nigeria to transform almost
700 agent locations into “red shops” to advertise the MoneyGram service.
MoneyGram also expanded its street team program, hiring people from
immigrant communities to promote awareness of the MoneyGram money
transfer service.

Signs, red shops and street teams provided the foundation for our marketing
programs, but MoneyGram also expanded its media campaigns on radio and
cable television worldwide. We also launched innovative marketing tactics
such as promoting MoneyGram service in Spanish and English on Cheerios®
boxes sold at U.S. Wal-Mart stores prior to Mother’s Day.

MoneyGram consumers want a range of convenient payment options. The
foundation is our global agent network. In the future, our new virtual
distribution capabilities will meet the evolving needs of our consumer.

Affordable. Reliable. Convenient.

That’s what MoneyGram stands for … that’s what customers want … that’s
what MoneyGram delivers.

Co-Branding

A co-branding project with General Mills
and Wal-Mart in 2006 promoted
MoneyGram’s annual “House for Mom”
promotion on boxes of Cheerios® sold at
Wal-Mart stores prior to Mother’s Day.

5

MoneyGram 2006 Annual Report

MoneyGram International
Board of Directors

Philip W. Milne
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Chairman, President & 
Chief Executive Officer,
MoneyGram International, Inc.

Monte E. Ford
Southlake, Texas
Senior Vice President & 
Chief Information Officer,
AMR Corporation 
(parent company of American Airlines)

Jess T. Hay
Dallas, Texas
Chairman, Texas Foundation for
Higher Education

Judith K. Hofer
Portland, Oregon
Retired President & Chief Executive
Officer, May Merchandising/MDSI,
a May Department Stores Company

Donald E. Kiernan
Naples, Florida
Retired Senior Executive Vice President &
Chief Financial Officer, SBC
Communications, Inc.,
a telecommunications provider

Robert C. Krueger
New Braunfels, Texas
Business Consultant and former Oxford
University professor, U.S. Senator,
U.S. Congressman and U.S. Ambassador

Linda Johnson Rice
Chicago, Illinois
President & Chief Executive Officer,
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.,
Publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines

Douglas L. Rock
Houston, Texas
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
Smith International, Inc., a producer
of oil & gas field equipment

Othón Ruiz-Montemayor
San Pedro Garza Garcia,
Nuevo León, Mexico
Chairman, Grupo Valores Operativos
Monterrey S.A.P.I. de C.V. and Grupo
Inversiones Monterrey S.A. de C.V.,
private investment groups

Albert M. Teplin
Rockville, Maryland
Economist and consultant to
businesses and governments
including the Federal Reserve

Timothy R. Wallace
Dallas, Texas
Chairman, President & Chief Executive
Officer, Trinity Industries, Inc.,
a manufacturer of rail and
trucking equipment

Executive Officers

Philip W. Milne, Chairman, President &
Chief Executive Officer

David J. Parrin, Executive Vice President
& Chief Financial Officer

Anthony P. Ryan, Executive Vice
President & President,
Global Payment Products & Services

William J. Putney, Executive Vice
President & Chief Investment Officer

Mary A. Dutra, Executive Vice President,
Global Payment Processing 
& Settlement

Teresa H. Johnson, Executive Vice
President, General Counsel & Secretary

Cindy J. Stemper, Executive Vice
President, Human Resources &
Corporate Services

David A. Albright, Executive Vice
President & Chief Information Officer

Jean C. Benson, Vice President,
Controller

Timothy J. Gallaher, Vice President,
Investor Relations & Treasurer

Thomas E. Haider, Vice President,
Government Affairs & Chief
Compliance Officer

Corporate Headquarters
MoneyGram International, Inc.
1550 Utica Avenue South
Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55416
(952) 591-3000
www.moneygram.com

Annual Meeting
MoneyGram International, Inc. will hold
its Annual Meeting of stockholders
at 9:00 a.m. on May 9, 2007, at the
Sofitel, 5601 West 78th Street,
Bloomington, MN 55439

Investor Information
Securities analysts and investors
seeking additional information about
MoneyGram International, Inc. should
contact the Investor Relations
Department at (952) 591-3840

Transfer Agent
To change your address, make inquiries
regarding dividend payments or to
mail Common Stock certificates for
transfer, please contact:

Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
P.O. Box 64874
St. Paul, MN 55164-0874
(866) 877-6290
www.wellsfargo.com/shareownerservices

Or, for courier deliveries:
Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
161 North Concord Exchange
South St. Paul, MN 55075-1139

Certifications
The Company has included with this
Annual Report the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer
certifications required by Section 302 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company
has also submitted the required annual
Chief Executive Officer certification to
the New York Stock Exchange.

Corporate Headquarters
MoneyGram International, Inc.
1550 Utica Avenue South
Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55416
(952) 591-3000
www.moneygram.com