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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
Fact checked 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 company for debt relief that offers a free consultation with debt counselors who are able to assist. Founded in 2009, this firm assists consumers in settling their debts with less debt than they are owed. Our independent evaluation of debt relief businesses, National Debt Relief earned the highest ranking as “best in all.”
Pros & Cons
Important Takeaways
Company Overview
Pros
No upfront fees for settlement
Free consultation is available to assist you in comparing your options
Client portal allows you to track your progress in real time
Cons
Fees can run as high as 25% of your total credit
No mobile app available with the program.
National Debt Relief logo
overall rating 4.6
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Table of Contents
Pros Explained
Pros and Cons explained
Debt types addressed
Client Onboarding
Customer Service
Company Reputation
Average Amount of Relief
Average Time for Relief
Cost
The Competition
Final Verdict
Methodology
National Debt Relief is a business that offers relief through an approach known as debt settlement. The goal of this process is to assist customers in getting out of debt. Through the process of debt settlement, it’s possible to set the amount in a savings account each month until you’re able to “settle” to settle your financial obligations for less than you are owed.
You’ll pay National Debt Relief a percentage of the debts that they settle however, only when you have achieved results. The company claims that regardless of accounting for their fees, customers save between 30% to 50% of their initial debt at the time that the process is finished.
A free consultation can help you decide if debt settlement is right for you.
Debt settlement could cause damage to your credit score because you’ll stop making payments on your debts as part of your plan. Make sure you understand the advantages and disadvantages of debt settlement prior to deciding whether you want to take action, and then compare with several debt relief companies before making a decision.
Pros Explained
No upfront settlement fees No upfront settlement fees: With National Debt Relief, you only pay when you get results. Fees are charged as proportional to the amount of debt that is settled, and only when the negotiation has been concluded.
A free consultation will help you evaluate your options: You can phone National Debt Relief to speak with a debt counselor for free. This session gives you the opportunity to ask questions and find out whether debt settlement is the right choice for you.
Client portal lets you monitor your progress live: Unlike some other debt relief agencies, National Debt Relief has an online client portal that lets you monitor your program and follow the process of settling your debt anytime of the day or at night.
Cons Explained
The fees can be as high as 25% of the total amount of your debt: Some of the companies for debt relief we have independently researched charge fees at a lesser percentage than National Debt Relief.
No mobile app available with the program: While National Debt Relief does have an online client portal, this debt relief firm doesn’t have a mobile app that allows you to track the progress of your debt settlement program while on the move.
The types of debt addressed
National Debt Relief aims to assist consumers in paying off unsecured debts, which include all debt that isn’t covered by collateral. Fortunately, this company has a debt qualifications page on their site where they explain which debts do not are eligible. The principal types of debt they handle are listed below.
Credit card credit card debt
If you’re in debt from a conventional credit card or a merchant credit card National Debt Relief can help you settle for less than what you have to pay. This is applicable to major credit cards like American Express, Visa, or Discover and co-branded cards from retailers like Kohl’s as well as Sears.
Personal loans and payday loans
You can also negotiate and pay off any personal debts that you are facing, which includes personal loans from banks or online lenders or even payday loans. Installment loans can also qualify.
Business debts
Business debts can also be negotiated and settled for less than you are owed now. National Debt Relief says these loans must be unsecured and prefer to negotiate debts for businesses that have already been shut down.
Medical bills that are not paid
National Debt Relief can also assist you in paying less than you owe toward your medical bills. Negotiations are able to be concluded through doctor’s offices, hospitals and other medical professionals.
Back rent
If you’re in debt on the rent you pay, then you might be able to negotiate the amount that you owe in arrears. However, you can only negotiate the debt if you have ceased to be a resident.
Private student loans
You may also be able to settle debt linked to private student loans for less than your total balance. Take note that federal student loans don’t qualify to be a debt settlement.
You can bundle more than one type of debt in a settlement program. If you are in the middle of medical bills, and other business debts for instance, National Debt Relief can help you settle all of them during your program.
Client Onboarding
To begin the process of National Debt Relief requires you to make an appointment to get a no-cost consultation. In the meeting with a debt advisor will be able to discuss your situation and your finances before determining how long the debt settlement process could take and how much you could save.
National Debt Relief states that you must owe at least $7,500 in order to be eligible for their assistance. It is also necessary to have “several months behind in your payments” as creditors won’t be enticed to negotiate if you’re current with your bills.
If you aren’t able to pay off enough debt to qualify for the debt settlement program You can consider other options like credit counseling and Debt management plans (DMPs), or consolidating debt loans.
Customer Service
One advantage of working with a debt relief firm is that they know debt collection laws and regulations both inside and outside. For instance, National Debt Relief states their experts and debt counselors can assist you with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act while you pay off your debt.
This company offers telephone and email customer service. For your complimentary debt counseling, you can contact a counselor on Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to midnight EST as well as Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Customers who are already customers can call to get help via phone every day from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
National Debt Relief doesn’t offer an app for mobile devices or an online chat function which means there are less ways to reach out for assistance than some of the providers provide. However, their numerous positive user reviews boast about a quick response time and the willingness to help.
Company Reputation
The field of debt relief is not without its share of scams, which is why it’s important to research companies before you sign up for their services. One method to conduct this research is to use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database that allows you to look up complaints from users of companies offering debt settlement.
This company scores an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars in nearly 35,000 reviews posted by users on Trustpilot.
Based on their stellar reviews and third-party rankings, National Debt Relief received some of the highest scores for company reputation in our own study.
If you have a complaint regarding the services provided by the company that offers debt relief, you can make a complaint to the FTC or call 877 FTC-HELP.
Average Relief Amount
National Debt Relief states that the amount of money you will save is dependent on a wide range of factors. However, most people can save between 30% and 50% off the original amount of debt as well as those savings can be realized after taking into account the costs you have to pay for the credit settlement plan.
Average Time for Relief
Settlement of debt via National Debt Relief should take between 24 to 48 months, which is average among other firms. The time needed to finish your program could differ based on the amount you owe, how much you’ll save each month, as well as other factors such as the willingness of creditors to negotiate.
Cost
National Debt Relief says their average client pays a cost of 15% to 25 percent of the debt they enroll into their service. However, this fee is only paid when results are reached and the debt has been paid at a lower rate than the original amount.
Generally speaking, their fee ratio is at par with the industry average.
The Competition
National Debt Relief Accredited Debt Relief
Year Founded 20092011
Accreditation – Accredited by the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
Accredited by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA) — Accredited by the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
Not accredited by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA)
Services AvailableDebt settlement Debt settlement
Customer Service TouchpointsFree consultation; Phone and email customer support; Online client portal Free consultation; Telephone and email customer service
Fee No upfront fees; Pay 15% to 25 percent of your debtThere are no upfront costs; pay 15 percent to 25 percent of your debt
Average Program Time24 to 48 monthsBetween 24 and 48 months
We decided to compare the highly-rated National Debt Relief to Accredited Debt Relief Accredited Debt Relief, a debt relief firm that received the second-highest ranking in our research study. Both firms received top ratings from Investopedia in relation to the quality of their service to customers, company reputation, their fees, and the services they offer. Further, they both offer the same duration of the program from 24 to 48 months, and both offer free consultations and costs that range from 15% to 25% of the amount you have paid off in debts.
That being said, National Debt Relief stands out due to their IAPDA accreditation. National Debt Relief also offers an online portal for customers to oversee their program and track their progress any time of the day or night.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, there’s no debt relief company that we’d recommend higher that National Debt Relief due to its outstanding service, low cost and charges, and its customer service prowess. The company earned an average score of 4.63 out of five feasible stars during our research analysis, while the typical company scored just 3.56.
If you have at least $7,500 in unpaid debt you hope to settle and you’re in need of help, contact National Debt Relief for a no-cost consultation. There are no upfront fees required, and you can determine whether debt settlement is the right choice with no commitment.
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How We Review Debt Relief Companies
Investopedia has conducted an independent study which compared more than 15 debt relief firms according to the quality of their service to customers, ratings and company’s reputation as well as their the range of products they offer, their pricing, and transparency. We sought out debt relief companies with positive reviews, testimonials from customers, customer service accessibility, as well as the crucial information regarding their plans, which are clearly displayed online, as well as firms that have excellent ratings from third party sources.
In the end, National Debt Relief scored the highest rating of 4.63 out of 5 stars in our ranking which gave them the top spot in our ranking as “best in all.”
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