If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, behind on debt payments and dealing with a financial hardship, hiring an expert to act on your behalf can help you reclaim your life and your financial independence. Debt resolution provides a structured path to financial control, and National Debt Relief is a top company in the field. This review will help you decide if it’s the right option for you.
| Highlights |
|---|
| No late fees, missed deposit fees or cancellation fees |
| One affordable monthly payment |
| Debt free in 12-48 months |
| Free, no obligation consultation |
About National Debt Relief
Since 2009, National Debt Relief has successfully helped hundreds of thousands of people get out of debt. They’re one of the country’s largest debt resolution companies, boasting a number of accolades and accreditations, along with a solid reputation and success rate to back it up.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free consultation | Must have $7,500 in debt to qualify |
| No upfront fees | Not available in every state |
| Customized plan to fit your budget and timeline | Specific fees not publicly available |
| Debt-free in as little as 24 to 48 months* | As with any service of this kind, success is not guaranteed & there’s risk of impacting your credit score |
| Most types of unsecured personal debt is eligible | |
| Team of debt arbitrators certified through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA) | |
| A+ Better Business Bureau rating | |
| 4.6-star average rating across platforms with 168,000+ reviews | |
| Accredited member of the Association for Consumer Debt Relief (ACDR) | |
| Platinum accredited though the IAPDA | |
| Satisfaction guarantee—get results or you don’t pay |
Services Offered
With National Debt Relief, a Certified Debt Specialist will review your unique situation and offer solutions based on your current debt, your location, your budget and your goals.
Two commonly used services in debt resolution are debt settlement and debt consolidation. Here’s a quick look at the difference between the two:
- Debt settlement reduces your total balance. Your debt is negotiated down, and you pay less than what you owe. The creditor forgives the remaining balance in a transaction called a settlement. This is the service that National Debt Relief provides in house through their team of seasoned experts.
- Debt consolidation combines all of your debt into one loan with a single monthly payment, often at a reduced interest rate. This option requires a higher credit score and therefore may not be available to everyone.
The benefit to hiring an expert is that they can take care of the negotiations on your behalf, and National Debt Relief has extensive experience and a great track record of success. When you’re overwhelmed with debt and not sure where to start, having an expert in your corner can be a huge relief—and can save you some money, too.
How it Works
Curious about how debt resolution works? National Debt Relief has made their program easy to understand. Here’s how it’s done:
- Instead of paying your creditors, you deposit a monthly payment into a dedicated savings account in your name and under your control.
- As your funds accumulate, National Debt Relief will contact your creditors to negotiate reduced balances. Because you’re no longer making payments, creditors tend to opt for taking a reduced amount rather than risking no payment at all.
- Then, you’ll authorize National Debt Relief to use the funds in your dedicated savings account to pay your creditors the lower, negotiated balances.
If you’re struggling with debt and are behind on payments, debt resolution may be a good option for you. National Debt Relief helps clients with high levels of unsecured debt, like credit cards, medical bills or repossessions, who are struggling with financial hardship like a divorce or job loss or have fallen behind on payments.
National Debt Relief makes it simple to get started. Here’s what the process typically involves:
- Initial Consultation: Fill out the quick online form and a representative will call you to talk about your options. In this meeting, you’ll share your situation and have an opportunity to ask questions about the options presented, with no fee and no obligation.
- Customized Plan: If you qualify, the next step involves working with a debt specialist to determine an affordable monthly amount and timeline you feel comfortable with. National Debt Relief’s experts will build an affordable plan that works for your budget and timeline.
- Implementation: After you approve your plan, you’ll start depositing money into your dedicated account. Once enough has accumulated (typically after a couple of months), your dedicated debt specialist will get to work negotiating with your creditors to lower your debts. If you agree to the settlement, you’ll authorize funds for the negotiated amount and pay National Debt Relief a fee for their services. The typical timeline for this process is 12 to 48 months.
Requirements & Fees
Now for the “fine print.” All debt resolution companies have a minimum debt requirement and other requirements in order to use their services. Fees differ between companies, and are generally determined by location, complexity and required services. Here’s what you can expect when working with National Debt Relief:
- Consultation Fee: None—the initial consultation is free.
- Requirements: Clients must have at least $10,000 in unsecured debt and have the ability to make the agreed-upon monthly payment into a dedicated account. Additionally, individuals must be overdue on payments and experiencing a financial hardship with no end in sight in order to demonstrate financial burden.
- Fees: National Debt Relief states that their fees are typically 15 to 25 percent of the total enrolled debt. There are no upfront fees; National Debt Relief only collects a fee after a settlement has been approved and you have made at least one payment.
National Debt Relief vs. The Competition
Next, let’s take a look at how National Debt Relief compares to other debt resolution companies:
| National Debt Relief | CuraDebt | ClearOne Advantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Services | Debt settlement & debt consolidation | Debt settlement & debt consolidation | Debt settlement & debt consolidation |
| Debt Minimum | $7,500 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Founded in | 2009 | 2001 | 2008 |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Average Customer Rating | 4.6 stars across 168,000+ reviews | 4.8 stars across 540 reviews | 4.4 stars across 12,000 reviews |
| Satisfaction Guarantee | Yes | No | No |
| Available in | 42 states | 34 states | 30 states |
| IAPDA Platinum Accredited | Yes | No | No |
| ACDR Accredited Member | Yes | No | Yes |
The Bottom Line: Why We Love It
National Debt Relief stands out for their transparency and commitment to helping consumers get out of debt and get their lives back. They’ve helped more than 1.2 million people start their debt resolution journey and they have an excellent history for successfully settling debts, saving consumers money and providing empathetic, personalized support along the way. Their integrity as a company also stands out, with numerous accolades and accreditations, and a strong average customer review rating to boot. If you feel that debt resolution may be right for you, we recommend adding National Debt Relief to your shortlist.
FAQs
National Debt Relief helps thousands of new clients each month start their path to financial stability. They’ve helped more than a million people in total since starting in 2009, and have built a strong reputation for customer service and successful negotiations:
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Trusted by more than 168,000 customers—rated 4.6 stars average across Google, TrustPilot and BBB
- Active, accredited members of the Association for Consumer Debt Relief
- Named top debt consolidation company by Forbes Advisor and Bankrate
National Debt Relief works with most types of unsecured debt. (In case you’re unsure, unsecured debt means any debt that’s not tied to an asset like a home or automobile).
Qualifying debts include:
- Major credit cards
- Retail cards
- Gas cards
- Bank loans from prior banks
- Installment loans
- Finance companies
- Unsecured personal loans
- Repossession deficiency balances
- Business debts for closed businesses
- Bank, overdraft and associated debts with a collection agency
- Cell phones (not current)
- Credit unions (not federal or military)
- Veterinarian bills of $500 or more
- Judgements six months or older
- Back rent for former residences
- Some private student loans may qualify
Debts not covered:
- Mortgage loans
- Auto loans
- Child support
- Back taxes
- Speeding tickets and fines
- Current cell phones
- Back rent for current residence
- Current litigation accounts (less than six months)
- NSF (insufficient funds) checks
- Gambling debts
- Newly taken, high-balance cash advances, balance transfers and large luxury purchases where three to six payments have been made
- AAFES or STAR
- Car repair bills
- Rent-A-Center bills
- Warranty contracts
- Insurance policies
- Check cashing establishments
- Bail bonds
The short answer is yes. The long answer? Your financial situation has a long-lasting impact on your lifestyle and peace of mind, and having an expert on your side can help make the process smoother—and more favorable.
National Debt Relief takes care of every detail of debt negotiations on your behalf. They have established relationships with more than 10,000 creditors and their average negotiation rate is 45 percent, which means that you usually pay 45 percent less than what you owe. National Debt Relief’s negotiators know how much you can expect to save with each creditor, and exactly what to say to help each company look for solutions that support your needs. They don’t take “no” for an answer and will continue contacting the creditor until the debt is successfully settled, or it becomes clear that negotiating is completely off the table.
This insight and experience gets you the best deal possible, and the peace of mind knowing that your financial future is being handled by caring professionals.
Depending on your personal situation and whether you’ve already missed payments to your creditors, debt settlement programs may have a negative impact on your credit score. As credit score is a separately regulated service, National Debt Relief does not provide credit repair services or advise on ways to improve your credit.
Related Topics
Featured In
Featured In
Methodology
The Consumer Rating Difference
Behind Our Best Debt Resolution Programs Ratings
We make choosing the best Debt Resolution Programs easy with expert reviews and rankings.
Here’s the methodology behind our ratings:
Comprehensive Overviews
From preferences, to pricing & more, we cover all you need to know about Debt Resolution Program in our detailed reviews.
Pricing Details
We break down how much the Debt Resolution Programs costs, noting everything that’s included for the different price points.
Debt Resolution Programs Comparisons
With so many different Debt Resolution Programs available, it can be hard to decide which one is right for you. We compare different brands based on your preferences.
