Accredited Debt Relief: 2024 Review
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At a glance
| Overall Score | 4.8 |
|---|---|
| Overview | If you’ve accumulated $15,000 or more in unsecured debt and are looking for ways to reduce what you owe, or consolidate monthly payments and eliminate debt more quickly, Accredited Debt Relief may be able to help. |
| Minimum debt required | $15,000 |
| Time frame | Between 24 to 48 months |
| Potential Debt Reduction | Up to 40% |
| Fees | Up to 25% of enrolled debt |
Best for: quick results
Types of debt settled by Accredited Debt Relief
Only unsecured debts are eligible for Accredited Debt Relief’s programs. In other words, debts that are not attached to collateral like a home or a car. The company helps settle credit card debt, medical bills and payday loans. It does not work with federal student loans, mortgages or auto loans.
Accredited Debt Relief pros and cons
Weigh the advantages and disadvantages that come with Accredited Debt Relief.
Pros
- Reduced debt by up to 40%, minus fees.
- Debt consolidation without a loan or bankruptcy.
- Tailored debt relief programs.
Cons
- Fees of up to 25% of your enrolled balance.
- Minimum $15,000 in debt required.
- Consolidation comes with an origination fee of up to 6%.
Debt relief qualifications
Founded in 2011, Accredited Debt Relief offers personalized debt relief programs and works to help customers reduce unsecured debt by as much as 40 percent. In addition to providing standard debt settlement plans, the company assists with debt consolidation, debt management and bankruptcy.
Accredited Debt Relief notes on its website that to be eligible for assistance debt must be unsecured and not have collateral attached. Acceptable debt includes credit cards, medical bills and payday loans. To qualify, you must be able to make monthly payments and have at least $15,000 or more worth of unsecured debt.
Services
Working with Accredited Debt Relief begins with an initial consultation during which one of its certified debt specialists assesses your finances and explains the various options available to help. If you choose to proceed, a customized plan is developed based on your goals, your total amount of debt and your budget.
While plans are personalized, there are some general steps that apply across the board.
- Start saving. You will be required to start making payments to a dedicated savings account. The money accumulated in this account will ultimately be used to pay off your debts.
- Stop paying. You will also be asked to stop making payments to creditors, stop communicating with creditors and cease using the lines of credit, loans or credit cards that you are seeking to have negotiated.
- Negotiators go to work. Negotiators from Accredited Debt Relief work on obtaining settlements for your outstanding debt. When a creditor agrees to a settlement, you will be contacted to approve the terms.
- Pay the creditor. The money accumulated in your dedicated account will go towards paying the creditor. After the creditor is paid, that debt is considered resolved.
Fees and penalties
Accredited Debt Relief does not charge any upfront fees. Rather fees are performance based and contingent upon reaching a favorable settlement with creditors. Any incurred fees can be up to 25 percent of debt balances at time of enrollment.
Credit score impacts
As with most debt relief organizations, you may see a temporary drop in your credit score when starting the debt relief program. That is because consumers are often advised to stop making payments to creditors, as these are more likely to settle if your account is already behind.
What we like and what we don’t like
Accredited Debt Relief carries a range of debt relief programs but does carry additional fees that other companies may not.
Pros
- Reduced debt. It is possible to reduce your debt by as much as 40 percent, minus fees, when working with Accredited Debt Relief.
- Debt consolidation without a loan. Accredited Debt Relief allows you to address unsecured debt without having to secure a consolidation loan. This can often save you money as some consolidation loans come with interest rates of 21 percent or more.
- Tailored debt relief programs. The programs developed by Accredited Debt Relief can be customized or modified to fit your specific financial needs and monthly budget, making it easier for you to stay on track with the monthly payment program.
Cons
- Closing fee of up to 25 percent of your enrolled debt. While you only pay a fee if the company reaches a favorable settlement on your behalf, you will need to be prepared to pay a sizable fee for this assistance.
- Minimum $15,000 in debt required. You will need a fair amount of unsecured debt in order to be eligible for assistance from Accredited Debt Relief.
- High origination fee for consolidation loans. Origination fees for debt consolidation loans through Accredited Debt Relief can be up to 6 percent. While this may seem low, you may be able to find lower fees elsewhere.
Customer experience and reviews
Accredited Debt Relief has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which is the highest score awarded. However, BBB ratings are not meant to be a guarantee of a business’s reliability. In addition, the letter rating does not take customer reviews into consideration. About 12 complaints were filed with BBB against Accredited Debt over the past three years, all of which have been closed.
The company also has an “Excellent” score from third-party ranking site Trustpilot, with over 5,400 consumer reviews, of which, 90 percent gave the company a five-star rating.
How to contact Accredited Debt Relief
Accredited Debt Relief offers support seven days a week via email and by phone. Its customer service hours range from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 11 p.m ET and from Saturday through Sunday from 8 a.m to 10 p.m ET.
The company’s website also features an FAQ page, plus a knowledge hub where consumers can find answers to some of the most common questions regarding debt relief.
Accredited Debt Relief frequently asked questions
How Bankrate rates Accredited Debt Relief
| Overall Score | 4.8 | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 4.3 | A high minimum debt amount lowers Accredited Debt Relief's score. |
| Affordability | 5.0 | Zero fees until your debt is negotiated down and no monthly fees earn Accredited Debt Relief a great mark in affordability. |
| Customer experience | 5.0 | Accredited Debt relief has customer service seven days a week, a website that is easy to navigate and an FAQ page. |
| Company reputation | 5.0 | There are no FTC complaints or unresolved CFPB reviews. |
| Stability | 4.0 | Accredited Debt Relief was founded in 2011 and is accredited by the American Fair Credit Council. |
Methodology
To rate debt relief services, Bankrate considers 15 factors. These factors include minimum debt allowed, what fees are charged, whether there are unresolved complaints and if the company is accredited. Categories that the services are rated on include:
- Availability: Availability is assessed based on the minimum debt balance required, types of eligible debt and whether the company provides free credit counseling.
- Affordability: Affordability is assessed based on associated fees and whether the company specifies money-back guarantee terms.
- Customer experience: Customer experience is assessed based on website usability and features, customer support options and hours of operation.
- Company reputation: Company reputation is determined by assessing complaints with regulatory agencies, like the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- Stability: Stability ratings are based on how long the company has been in business and whether it maintains membership with a professional trade association.
Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.