Bottom line: This debt settlement company offers programs as fast as 12 months, but with slightly lower savings than the competition.
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Accredited Debt Relief review
Edited by Holly Jennings
- Minimum debt
- $10,000
- Typical turnaround
- 12 to 48 months
- Fees
- 15% to 25%
Our verdict
Shorter-than-average settlements — but with slightly lower savings than other companies advertise.
Accredited Debt Relief offers direct debt settlement services to customers struggling with large amounts of debt. Its fees are relatively standard compared to other debt relief providers. But it has programs as quick as 12 months, where other debt settlement companies usually start at 24 months.
That doesn't mean you'll be able to settle your debt that quickly. It all depends on how quickly you're able to save money for the settlement. It also boasts slightly lower savings for customers than most debt relief companies. To save more, consider other options.
Pros
-
Consults on bankruptcy and debt settlement.
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Provides alternatives to bankruptcy that include debt consolidate and management.
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Eliminates multiple creditors.
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Lower interest rates could result in reduced monthly payments.
Cons
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Charges and fees vary by the company you're ultimately connected with.
Details
Product details
| Free quote or consultation | Yes |
| Services | Debt settlement |
| Minimum debt | $10,000 |
| Typical turnaround | 12 to 48 months |
| Direct or third-party negotiations | Direct |
| Fees | 15% to 25% |
| Types of debt | Unsecured. |
| Accreditations | AFCC, IAPDA, BBB |
| Ratings | BBB: A+, Trustpilot: 4.9/5. |
| Free resources or tools | None |
| Customer service | Phone, email. |
What is Accredited Debt Relief, and is it legit?
Accredited Debt Relief is an arm of Beyond Finance and offers debt settlement, debt consolidation loans and credit counseling. Both companies operate under the same names and negotiate with creditors directly to reduce your balance by around 50% of what you owe.
However, once fees are factored in, the actual savings from the program is around 20% to 30% of your balance. But if you were to continue making minimum monthly payments instead of using the program, the total cost of your debt could be much more. However, using the program can lower your credit score.
And yes, it’s legit. Accredited Debt Relief is accredited with the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC) and the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA), a trade organization that sets standards for the debt relief industry. Accredited’s debt specialists are IAPDA-certified.
Accredited Debt Relief reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | No |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| BBB customer reviews | 4.76 out of 5 stars, based on 278 customer reviews |
| BBB customer complaints | 12 |
| Trustpilot score | 4.9 out of 5 stars, based on 4,980 customer reviews |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 01 July 2023 |
Accredited Debt Relief gets overwhelmingly positive customer reviews on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. But most positive reviews are from customers who have just signed up for its debt relief services and have not paid off their debt yet.
This speaks well for the quality of its customer service. But reviews skew more negative if you look for customers who have been in the program longer. Negative reviews often mention higher-than-expected costs and fees.
Always read over your agreement carefully to make sure you understand how much your specified debt relief program will cost and how it will affect your credit score.
How does Accredited Debt Relief work?
Accredited Debt Relief works by negotiating down the balances of the credit accounts you enroll in exchange for a one-time payment. Here’s how the process generally breaks down.
- Free consultation. A debt specialist helps you decide if debt settlement is right for you. If you’re facing financial hardship, but you can still afford to make payments toward settling a lower balance — they’ll help you enroll.
- Monthly deposits. Start making deposits into a savings account each month toward debt settlement. Generally, you have to save up between 40% and 50% of each account before negotiations can begin. Usually, this takes four to six months.
- Negotiations. Once you have enough money saved up, Accredited Debt Relief reaches out to your creditors and begins negotiating down your account. Once it’s settled, it’ll deduct the settlement amount plus a fee from your savings account.
The whole process takes between 12 and 48 months, depending on how quickly you can save and how much debt you have. Usually, it takes between three and six months between each negotiation for customers to save enough for the next settlement.
Will using Accredited Debt Relief negatively impact my credit score?
Enrolling in any debt relief program harms your credit score initially. However, it usually helps improve your credit in the long run because paying off debt lowers your debt-to-income ratio.
How much does it cost?
Accredited Debt Relief charges a fixed fee of 15% to 25% of your enrolled debt at the time of settlement.
For example, if you enroll $10,000 of credit card debt with an APR of 16% in a two-year program, you could expect to owe $13,742.19 if no settlements are made during the program. You might have to pay around $2,061 to $3,436.
How much could I save with Accredited Debt Relief?
Debt settlement savings generally range from 20% to 30% of your enrolled debt, with fees factored in at the time of settlement and before taxes. The IRS treats most settled debt like taxable income unless you’re financially insolvent at the time of settlement. If you aren’t exempt, you could end up saving almost nothing, depending on your tax bracket.
Read our guide to debt relief to make sure debt settlement is the right choice and compare other options.
Compare debt relief companies
Use this table to see how Accredited Debt Relief stacks to other debt settlement companies in terms of costs and requirements.
1 - 3 of 3
Before you sign up with a debt relief company
Debt relief companies typically charge a percentage of a customer’s debt or a monthly program fee for their services. And not all companies are transparent about these costs or drawbacks that can negatively affect your credit score. Depending on the company you work with, you might pay other fees for third-party settlement services or setting up new accounts, which can leave you in a worse situation than when you signed up.
Consider alternatives before signing up with a debt relief company:
- Payment extensions. Companies you owe may be willing to extend your payment due date or put you on a longer payment plan if you ask.
- Nonprofit credit counseling. Look for free debt-management help from nonprofit organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
- Debt settlement. If you can manage to pay a portion of the bill, offer the collection agency a one-time payment as a settlement. Collection agencies are often willing to accept a lower payment on your debt to close the account.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss a monthly payment?
Call customer service at least five business days before your payment is due if you think you will have an issue making it. A customer service team member will discuss your options to get you back on track.
Why do I need a separate account for my settlement fund?
By creating a separate account, you’re distancing your debt settlement funds from your daily spending. This makes it easier to save and, by extension, complete the program.
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Anna Finder
Editor
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Anndy Finder
July 04, 2017
Hi Winnet,
Thanks for your question.
Your monthly repayment depends on the loan term. Fo example, using the loan calculator on the lender’s page, you will have an estimated monthly repayment of $59 if you get the maximum loan term of 4.5 years. But this is just an estimate and may also vary depending on your state.
You may want to directly get in touch with Accredited Debt Relief to get a free quote.
Cheers,
Anndy
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Winnet
July 03, 2017
I earn $400 per month so how much can be deducted from my salary ,if I borrow a loan of $5000