Which Is The Best Debt Company?

It is important to understand the various services offered by debt relief companies before choosing the best one for you.

Debt consolidation is combining some or all unsecured debts into a single loan, usually resulting in a lower interest rate and/or lower monthly payment. While many consolidation companies don’t provide a consolidation loan, they do offer consolidation services, which mirror the single payment consolidation – minus the loan. Clients enroll all of their unsecured credit accounts to a debt management program (DMP) and make a single payment to the company of choice. Negotiators or arbitrators reach out to creditors to create a monthly payment plan suitable for client’s budgets. Each month, the consolidation company splits the payment between creditors and keeps a portion as their payment.

These plans vary in length with many aiming to get clients out of debt within 12-48 months. We advise seeking a company willing to put in extra effort to resolve debt in fewer than 36 months.

Debt resolution is the process of reducing the total amount of debt owed to creditors by a percentage. Debt resolution companies typically only take on unsecured debt types and negotiate with creditors to resolve a debt for around 50 percent of what was originally owed.

We recommend customers only seek debt resolution services as an alternative to bankruptcy and if debt management, debt consolidation, or credit counseling services are no longer viable options.

Freedom Debt Relief has been working to resolve debts for their clients for over 20 years. With accreditations from the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC) and the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA), Freedom Debt Relief has established a trustworthy reputation.

Customer Reviews

Freedom Debt Relief has received over 15,200 verified customer reviews with a 4.7/5 star rating. Overall, customers have very positive experiences and are satisfied with the service they receive. Many positive reviews express gratitude for the compassionate professionals who frequently communicated with them and successfully settled their debt.

While very few people have left negative reviews for Freedom Debt Relief, customers who were not satisfied complained about the cost and credit card problems.

Kind and understanding customer service is extremely important during the stressful process of debt relief, which is why Freedom Debt Relief is rated #1.

Types of Debt

As a debt settlement company, Freedom Debt Relief specializes in unsecured debt. Unsecured debt is not backed by any collateral. For example, they can help customers settle credit card debt, personal loan debt, medical bills, or department store credit debt.

Cost

Freedom Debt Relief does not charge any upfront costs, which means that the initial phone consultation and program set up are completely free.

Clients are charged between 15% and 25% of their enrollment debt. Enrollment debt is the amount owed when registering for the program. Even if professionals are able to negotiate a lower debt amount, the debt settlement fee paid to Freedom Debt Relief is based on the enrolled debt.

Minimum Debt Accepted

Freedom Debt Relief requires a minimum enrolled debt of $7,500.

National Debt Relief was founded in 2009 by a team who wanted to place integrity and community at the heart of the debt relief process. They are also accredited by the AFCC and the IAPDA, proving their dedication to the field.

While National Debt Relief is primarily focused on debt settlement, they do offer debt consolidation to those who need it.

Customer Reviews

Over 1,300 customers have written reviews for National Debt Relief, giving them a 4.5/5 star rating. Clients have said that the process can take a while, but they agree the results are worth the wait. Positive reviews mention great customer service and professionals who are able to negotiate debt in a quality manner.

The few customers who did not have a positive experience with National Debt Relief mention being passed from employee to employee, which made the customer service inconsistent.

Types of Debt

National Debt Relief also mainly covers unsecured debt, but they do work with some types of debt that are not commonly seen in the debt settlement industry. National Debt Relief can help with credit card debt, personal loans, medical bills, repossessions, collections, business debt, and certain types of student loans.

Cost

National Debt Relief has no upfront fees. The consultation and program setup are free, but clients are charged 18% to 25% of enrolled debt as the debt settlement fee.

Minimum Debt Accepted

National Debt Relief accepts a minimum of $7,500 in debt.

Consolidated Credit has gained many years of experience serving clients across the country after being established in 1993. Professionals who work for Consolidated Credit are CPFC (Certified Personal Finance Consultant) certified.

Customer Reviews

Consolidated Credit has received over 1,000 reviews from customers, earning 4.8/5 stars. Those who had positive experiences reported detailed communication and great customer service. The majority of customers are satisfied with the rates that Consolidated Credit is able to negotiate with creditors.

The few customers who had negative experiences complain about the expensive monthly payment, poor communication, and pushy customer service representatives.

Types of Debt

Debt consolidation companies combine all of a customer’s unsecured debt into one monthly payment, so Consolidated Credit works with unsecured debt. Some examples of unsecured debt are credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans.

Cost

Most debt consolidation companies charge both a setup fee and a monthly fee. Consolidated Credit charges up to $49.00 as a fee for enrollment. Customers must also pay an average of $40.00 each month to stay enrolled in the program.

Minimum Debt Accepted

There is no minimum debt for this debt consolidation program.