debt management program?

No it doesn't hurt you Fico score. It does affect your credit however because it shows you are in a dmp and most lenders will not loan you credit while you are in the program. You can still buy a car in the program but don`t expect to be able to get any more credit cards until you complete the DMP. The fact you were in a DMP drops off your report once you complete a DMP. Its a good program though as long as you are going with a legit company.

Repayment of unsecured debt directly or through a debt management Plan (dmp) will, usually, result in gradual improvement in a consumer's credit score. Most, but not all, creditors show delinquent accounts as current after the creditor accepts the DMP and three consecutive payments have been received.

Per Fair Isaac & Company, the company that created the FICO scoring system formula (a system for quantifying a consumer's credit worthiness), the formula ignores any reference to enrollment in a Debt Management Plan that may be in a consumer's file.

How credit reports or access to new credit will be affected in the future depends on the view of the prospective creditor. Some creditors will see enrollment in a DMP as negative history, but others will regard it as a sincere and responsible attempt to satisfy one's financial obligations.