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National Debt Relief Review
National Debt Relief can help you settle your debts for less than the amount you have to
By Holly Johnson
Updated January 13, 2023
Reviewed by Margaret James
Facts verified by Katrina Munichiello
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Investopedia’s Rating 4.6
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Our Take
National Debt Relief is a highly rated debt relief company that offers a free consultation with debt counselors who are able to assist. Established in 2009, the firm helps consumers settle debt with less debt than they owe. Our independent evaluation of debt relief businesses, National Debt Relief earned the highest rating in the category of “best overall.”
Pros & Cons
The most important takeaways
Company Overview
Pros
No upfront settlement fees
Free consultation is available to aid you in comparing options
Client portal allows you to track your progress in real time
Cons
Fees can run as high as 25% of your total credit
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
Pros and Cons Explained
Types of Debt 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 a process known as debt settlement. The goal of this process is to help consumers get out of debt. In the process of debt settlement, it’s possible to put an amount in a savings account each month until you’re able “settle” your debts for less than what you have to pay.
You’ll be paying National Debt Relief a percentage of the debts they pay and only after you get results. The company claims that even after accounting for their fees customers save between 30% and 50% of the original debt at the time that the process is complete.
A free consultation can assist you in deciding whether debt settlement is the best option for you.
The process of settling debts can do damage to your credit score since you’ll stop making payments on your debts as part of your plan. Be sure to know the benefits and drawbacks of debt settlement before you start, and compare with various debt relief businesses before making a decision.
Pros Explained
There are no upfront settlement costs There are no upfront fees for settlement. National Debt Relief, you only pay when you achieve results. Fees are charged as proportional to the amount of debt that is settled, and only after the negotiation is completed.
Free consultation can help you evaluate your options: You are able to call National Debt Relief to speak with a debt counselor at no cost. The consultation will give you the chance to discuss your questions and find out what debt settlement options are best for you.
Client portal lets you monitor your progress in real time In contrast to other debt relief companies, National Debt Relief has an online client portal that lets you monitor your program and follow your debt settlement process anytime of the day or at night.
Pros and Cons Explained
Fees can run up to 25% of your settled debt: Some of the companies that we independently studied charge fees at a lower percent than National Debt Relief.
No mobile app available with the program: While National Debt Relief does have an online client portal, the debt relief service doesn’t provide an app for mobile devices that allows you to track your debt settlement plan in the field.
Types of Debt that are addressed
National Debt Relief aims to help consumers pay off unsecured debt, which is any kind of debt that isn’t secure by collateral. Fortunately, this company has a debt qualifications page on their website , where they explain which debts do not qualify. The main types of debt they address are listed below.
Credit card credit card debt
If you’re in debt from a conventional credit card or store credit card, National Debt Relief can help you pay less than you are owed. This applies to major credit cards like American Express, Visa, or Discover as well as co-branded cards offered by retailers such as Kohl’s and Sears.
Personal loans and payday loans
You may also negotiate and resolve any personal debts that you are facing, which includes personal loans from banks or online lenders or payday loans. Installment loans may also be eligible.
Business debts
Business debts may also be settled through negotiation and settlement at a lower rate than what the amount you are currently owing. National Debt Relief says these loans must be unsecured and prefer to help 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 towards your medical bills. Negotiations can be completed successfully with doctor’s offices, hospitals as well as other medical facilities.
Back rent
If you are in arrears with the rent you pay, then you might be able to negotiate the amount that you owe in arrears. But, you’re able to bargain this debt if are no longer an resident.
Private student loans
You might also be able to settle debt tied to private student loans with a lesser amount than the total amount. Note the fact that Federal student loans don’t qualify to be a debt settlement.
You can combine multiple types of debt into a settlement program. If you have credit card debt, medical bills, or business debts for instance, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling the entire amount in your plan.
Client Onboarding
Getting started with National Debt Relief requires you to call in to get a no-cost consultation. During this conversation with a debt advisor will be able to discuss your situation and your finances and then learn the length of time your debt settlement process might take and how much you can save.
National Debt Relief states that you have to owe at least $7,500 to be eligible for their program. You also need to have “several months behind on your payments” since creditors won’t be enticed to negotiate if you’re up-to-date on your payments.
If you don’t have enough debt to qualify for a debt settlement program, you can look into alternatives like credit counseling, program for managing debt (DMPs), or consolidating debt loans.
Customer Service
One benefit of working with a company that deals in debt relief is that they are aware of debt collection laws and regulations in and out. For instance, National Debt Relief states their experts and debt counselors can guide you through the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act while you pay off your debt.
The company provides customers with customer service via email and telephone. If you need a free debt consultation, you’ll be able to call in to speak with an advisor Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to midnight EST as well as Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Existing customers can reach out for assistance via the phone Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
National Debt Relief doesn’t offer an app for mobile devices or a chat feature online, so there are fewer ways to reach out for assistance than some of the providers provide. However, their many positive user reviews praise a quick response time and willingness to help.
Company Reputation
The industry of debt relief has many scams, which is why it is important to investigate firms before signing to their services. One way to conduct this research is to use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database, which lets you look up complaints from users of the debt settlement firms.
This company scores an average of 4.7 out five stars, based on nearly 35,000 reviews posted by users on Trustpilot.
Due to their outstanding reviews and third-party ratings, National Debt Relief received one of the top scores for company reputation in our own study.
If you are unhappy about the service 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 of money you can save varies based on a myriad of factors. But, the majority of people save 30 to 50% off their debts and these savings are realized even after taking into account the costs you have to pay for the repayment program.
Average Time to Relief
Settlement of debts via National Debt Relief should take between 24 to 48 months, which is average among other firms. The time it will take to complete your plan can depend on the amount you owe, how much you’ll save each month, and other factors such as the willingness of creditors to negotiate.
Cost
National Debt Relief says their average client pays a fee of between 15% and 25 percent of the debt enrolled into their service. However, this 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 on level with industry averages.
The Competitor
Accredited National Debt Relief Debt Relief
Year Founded 2009Year of Inception: 2009
Accreditation Accredited with the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
– Accredited with the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA) 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 Provided Debt Settlement Settlement of debt
Touchpoints for Customer ServiceFree consultation; phone and email customer support; Online client portal for free consultation. Telephone and email customer service
Fees No upfront costs and pay between 15% and 25% of your debtThere are no upfront costs; pay 15 percent to 25 percent of your debt
Average Program TimeBetween 24 and 48 months24 to 48 months
We chose to compare top-rated National Debt Relief to Accredited Debt Relief Accredited Debt Relief, a company offering debt relief that earned the second-highest ranking in our research study. Both received high ratings from Investopedia according to their customer service, business reputation, their fees, and the services offered. They also offer the same program length of between 24 and 48 months. They also offer free consultations and fees that fall between 15% and 25% of your settled debts.
In this regard, National Debt Relief stands out due to its IAPDA accreditation. National Debt Relief also offers an online portal that lets customers manage their programs and monitor their progress at any point of the night or day.
Final Verdict
In the final analysis, there is no debt relief company we can recommend more than National Debt Relief due to its professionalism, efficiency of the company, costs and fees, and the quality of its customer service. This company scored an average rating of 4.63 out of 5 potential stars on our independent study, while the average company only scored 3.56.
If you’ve got at least $7,500 in unsecured debt you’d like to pay off, you should contact National Debt Relief for a free consultation. There are no upfront costs required, and you can determine if debt settlement makes sense without any obligation.
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How We Review Debt Relief Companies
Investopedia completed an independent study that evaluated more than 15 debt relief firms according to their customer service, their ratings and company’s reputation in terms of product offerings, pricing and transparency. We sought out debt relief companies that have good reviews and customer testimonials, as well as customer service accessibility, and the important information about their plans that are readily available online, as well as firms with excellent rankings from third party sources.
In the end, National Debt Relief scored the highest score of 4.63 out five stars in our rankings and secured them the top position in our ranking as “best overall.”
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