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National Debt Relief Review
National Debt Relief can help you pay off your obligations for less than what you are owed.
By Holly Johnson
Updated January 13 2023
Review by Margaret James
Facts verified by Katrina Munichiello
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National Debt Relief logo
Rating for Investopedia: 4.6
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Our Take
National Debt Relief is a highly rated debt relief company which offers a no-cost consultation with debt counsellors who can aid. The company was founded in 2009 and the company helps people settle their debts to pay less than what they owe. When we conducted an independent review of debt relief companies, National Debt Relief earned the highest rating for being “best in all.”
Pros & Cons
Important Takeaways
Overview of the Company
Pros
No upfront settlement fees
A free consultation will aid you in comparing options
Client portal lets you track your progress in real time
Cons
The cost of fees can be up to 25% of the amount you settle debt
There is no mobile app that works with the program
National Debt Relief logo
Overall rating 4.6
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Table of Contents
Pros Explained
Cons Explained
Debt types addressed
Client Onboarding
Customer Service
Company Reputation
Average Relief Amount
Average Time to Relief
Cost
The Competition
Final Verdict
Methodology
National Debt Relief is a business that offers relief through the process of debt settlement. The goal of this process is to assist consumers in getting out of debt. Through this method, you’ll put aside an amount of money in a savings account every month until you’re ready to “settle” to settle your financial obligations for less than you have to pay.
You’ll be paying National Debt Relief a percentage of the debts that they settle, but only after you get results. This firm claims that regardless of accounting for their fees customers save between 30% to 50% of their initial debt when the process is complete.
A free consultation can assist you in deciding if debt settlement is right for you.
Debt settlement could cause negative effects on your credit score because you’ll stop paying the debts you owe during your program. Be sure to know the benefits and disadvantages of debt settlement prior to deciding whether you want to proceed, and shop around with various debt relief businesses before making a decision.
Pros Explained
No upfront settlement fees No upfront settlement fees: With National Debt Relief, you only pay when you achieve results. The fees are calculated as a percentage of debt that is paid off, and only when the negotiation has been completed.
A free consultation will help you evaluate your options: You are able to call National Debt Relief to speak with a debt counselor for free. This consultation gives you the chance to discuss your questions and determine whether debt settlement is the right choice for you.
Client portal allows you to track your progress in real-time Contrary to other debt relief agencies, National Debt Relief has an online client portal which lets you manage your program and monitor your debt settlement process anytime of the day or night.
Pros and Cons explained
Fees can reach as high as 25% of the total amount of your debt. A few of the debt relief companies we studied independently offer fees at a less percentage as National Debt Relief.
The mobile app isn’t available with the program: While National Debt Relief does have an online client portal, this debt relief firm doesn’t have an app for mobile devices that allows you to track the progress of your debt settlement program in the field.
Types of Debt that are addressed
National Debt Relief aims to aid consumers to pay off unsecure debt, which is any kind of debt that isn’t secured by collateral. It is good to know that the company offers a debt qualification page on their website where they provide a list of debts that qualify and don’t qualify. The main kinds of debts they deal with are listed below.
Credit card debt
If you’re in due on a standard credit card or a store credit card, National Debt Relief can help you settle for less than what you have to pay. This applies to the most popular credit cards such as American Express, Visa, or Discover and also co-branded cards from stores like Kohl’s and Sears.
Personal loans and payday loans
You can also negotiate and resolve any personal debts you may have, such as personal loans from an online or bank or even payday loans. Installment loans may also be eligible.
Business debts
Business debts can be resolved through negotiations and with less debt than you are owed now. National Debt Relief says these loans are not unsecured and that they would prefer to help to negotiate debts for companies which are closed.
Medical bills that are not paid
National Debt Relief can also aid you in paying less than what you owe on your medical expenses. Negotiations can be successfully completed by working with hospitals, doctor’s offices and other medical professionals.
Back rent
If you’re behind on your rent, you may be in a position to negotiate the amount you owe in arrears. However, you are able to negotiate the debt if you are no longer an resident.
Private student loans
You may also be able to settle debt tied with private school loans with a lesser amount than your balance. Be aware you that federal student loans are not eligible to be a debt settlement.
You can combine more than one type of debt into a debt settlement program. If you are in the middle of credit card debt, medical bills, and other business debts, for example, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling them all during your program.
Client Onboarding
To begin the process of National Debt Relief requires you to call in to get a no-cost consultation. In this meeting with a debt counselor, you can talk over your financial situation and situation and then learn the length of time the debt settlement process could take and the amount you could save.
National Debt Relief states that you must have a minimum balance of $7,500 in order in order to be eligible for their assistance. You also need to be “several months behind in your payments” as creditors won’t be enticed to negotiate if you’re up-to-date on your bills.
If you aren’t able to pay off enough debt to qualify for a debt settlement program then you may want to look into alternatives like credit counseling, Debt management plans (DMPs), or debt consolidation loans.
Customer Service
One benefit of working with a debt relief company is the fact that they are aware of debt collection rules and regulations in and out. For example, National Debt Relief states their experts and debt counselors can help you navigate your way through the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act while you pay off your debt.
This firm offers email and phone customer service. For your free debt consultation, you are able to make a call to talk with an adviser Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until midnight EST as well as Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Existing customers can reach out for phone assistance on Mondays and Fridays between 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
National Debt Relief doesn’t offer a mobile app or an online chat function There aren’t many ways to reach out for assistance than some of the providers provide. However, their numerous positive user reviews praise rapid response times and the willingness to help.
Company Reputation
The industry of debt relief has plenty of scams to deal with This is the reason it’s crucial to research companies before you sign up for their services. One way to conduct this research is to use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database that lets you search for user complaints among companies offering debt settlement.
The company has an average rating of 4.7 out five stars, based on more than 35,000 reviews from users on Trustpilot.
Due to their outstanding reviews and rankings by third parties, National Debt Relief received one of the top scores for reputation of the company in our study.
If you are unhappy about the services of a debt relief company, you can submit a complaint to the FTC or call 877-FTC-HELP.
Average Relief Amount
National Debt Relief states that the amount you can save varies based on a variety of elements. However, the majority of people can save between 30% and 50% off of their original debt amounts, and those savings can be realized after taking into consideration the fees you pay for your credit settlement plan.
Average Time for Relief
Settlement of debt via National Debt Relief should take between 24 and 48 months all together that’s the standard for other companies. The length of time it will take to complete your program can vary based on how much you owe, how much you’ll save each month, and other variables like how willing lenders are to negotiate.
Cost
National Debt Relief says their clients pay an average of between 15% and 25 percent of the total amount of debt that they have enrolled in their program. The fee is only due once results are achieved and debt has been settled for less than the owed amount.
The general consensus is that their fee percentage is generally on par with the industry average.
The Competition
Accredited National Debt Relief Debt Relief
Year of Founders 2009Year of Inception: 2009
Accreditation Accredited with the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
– Accredited with the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA) — Accredited by the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
Non-accredited with the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA)
Services Offered Debt settlement Debt settlement
Customer Service TouchpointsFree consultation; phone and email customer support; Online client portal for free consultation; Phone and email customer service
Fee : No upfront charges and pay between 15% and 25 percent of your debtNo upfront fees; Pay 15 percent to 25 percent of your debt
Average Program TimeBetween 24 and 48 monthsBetween 24 and 48 months
We decided to contrast the top-rated National Debt Relief to Accredited Debt Relief Accredited Debt Relief, a company offering debt relief that earned the second-highest rating in our study. Both received high ratings from Investopedia according to their customer service, their company reputation, their fees, and the services provided. They also provide the same length of program of between 24 and 48 months. Both provide a no-cost consultation as well as charges that range from 15% to 25% of the amount you have paid off in debts.
In this regard, National Debt Relief stands apart because of their IAPDA accreditation. National Debt Relief also offers an online portal that lets customers oversee their program and track their progress any time of the day or night.
Final Verdict
In the final analysis, there is no debt relief service that we’d recommend higher then National Debt Relief due to its professionalism, efficiency of the company, costs and fees, and customer service prowess. This company scored an average in the range of 4.63 out of five potential stars on our independent analysis, while the typical company only scored 3.56.
If you’ve got at least $7,500 in unsecured debt you’d like to settle, you should call National Debt Relief for a free consultation. There are no upfront costs required, and you can discover whether debt settlement is a good idea with no obligation.
Get an Estimate
How We Review Debt Relief Companies
Investopedia has conducted an independent study that evaluated over 15 different debt relief businesses based on their customer service, their ratings and company’s reputation as well as their prices, product offerings and transparency. We searched for debt relief firms that have good reviews and testimonials from customers, customer access to service, and crucial information regarding their plans clearly posted on the internet, in addition to firms that have excellent ratings from third parties.
Ultimately, National Debt Relief scored the highest score of 4.63 out of 5 stars in our ranking, which gave them the top spot as “best all-around.”
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