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National Debt Relief Review

National Debt Relief can help to settle your debts for less than you owe
By Holly Johnson
Updated January 13 2023
Review by Margaret James
Facts checked by Katrina Munichiello

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The Rating of Investopedia is 4.6
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Our Take

National Debt Relief is a highly rated debt relief company that provides a free consultation with debt counselors who are able to aid. Founded in 2009, this firm helps consumers settle debt for less than they are owed. When we conducted an independent review of debt relief firms, National Debt Relief earned the top spot in the category of "best overall."

Pros & Cons
Key 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 live

Cons

Charges can reach as high as 25% of your total debt

There is no mobile app that works with the program

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overall rating 4.6
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Table of Contents

Pros Explained
Pros and Cons explained
The types of debt addressed
Client Onboarding
Customer Service
Company Reputation
Average Amount of Relief
Average Time to Relief
Cost
The Competitor
Final Verdict
Methodology

National Debt Relief is a company that offers relief through a process known as debt settlement. Its goal is to help consumers get rid of the burden of debt. With this method, you'll put the amount in a savings account each month until you're ready to "settle" the debt to pay less than what you are owed.

You'll be paying National Debt Relief a percentage of the debts they settle however, only when you get results. The company claims that regardless of accounting for their fees customers save between 30% to 50% of the original debt by the time the process is complete.

A no-cost consultation can aid you in deciding whether debt settlement is the right choice for you.

Debt settlement can cause harm to your credit score as you cease making payments on the debts you owe during your program. Be sure to know the advantages and disadvantages of debt settlement before you take action, and then compare with various debt relief businesses before making a final decision.
Pros Explained

There are no upfront fees for settlement: With National Debt Relief, you only pay when you achieve results. Fees are charged in the form of a percentage of debt that is settled, and only when the negotiation has been concluded.
Free consultation can help you determine the options available to you: You can contact National Debt Relief to speak with a debt counsellor for free. This consultation gives you the chance to ask questions and find out whether debt settlement is the right choice for you.
Client portal allows you to track your progress live Contrary to other debt relief firms, National Debt Relief has an online client portal which lets you manage your program and monitor 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 amount you have settled debt. Some companies that we have independently researched offer fees at a lesser proportion as National Debt Relief.
No mobile app available with the program: Although National Debt Relief does have an online client portal, the debt relief company doesn't offer a mobile app which lets you monitor the progress of your debt settlement program on the go.

The types of debt addressed

National Debt Relief aims to aid consumers to pay off unsecure debts, which include any kind of debt that isn't covered by collateral. It is good to know that the company has a page on debt qualification on their website , where they provide a list of debts that qualify not meet the criteria for. The most common types of debt they address are listed below.
Credit card indebtedness

If you are in credit card debt from a conventional credit card or a store credit card, National Debt Relief can help you settle for less than what you owe. This is applicable to the most popular credit cards such as American Express, Visa, or Discover and also co-branded cards offered by retailers such as Kohl's or Sears.
Personal loans as well as payday loans

You may also negotiate and settle any personal debt that you are facing, which includes personal loans from a bank or online lender or even payday loans. Installment loans may also be eligible.
Business debts

Business debts can also be resolved through negotiations and at a lower rate than what you are owed now. National Debt Relief says these loans are not unsecured and prefer to help negotiate debts for businesses which are closed.
Medical bills not paid

National Debt Relief can also aid you in paying less than you owe toward your medical expenses. Negotiations can be successfully completed by working with hospitals, doctor's offices as well as other medical facilities.
Back rent

If you are in arrears with your rent, you might be capable of negotiating 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 with private school loans for less than the total amount. Note you that federal student loans do not qualify for debt settlement.

You can bundle more than one kind of debt in a settlement plan. If you're in debt from credit card debt, medical bills, and other business debts, for example, National Debt Relief can help you pay them all during your program.
Client Onboarding

The first step to begin using National Debt Relief requires you to make an appointment for a free consultation. In the meeting with a debt counselor, you can talk over your financial situation and situation and then learn the length of time your debt settlement process might take and the amount you can save.

National Debt Relief states that you need to have a minimum balance of $7,500 in order to qualify for their program. You also need to have "several months behind on your payments" since creditors won't have a reason to negotiate with you if you're current on your payments.

If you aren't able to pay off enough debt to be eligible for a debt settlement program You can consider alternatives like credit counseling, Debt management plans (DMPs), or the debt consolidation loans.
Customer Service

The benefit of working with a debt relief company is the fact that they know the debt collection rules and regulations inside and out. For instance, National Debt Relief states their expert debt counselors and experts are able to assist you with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act as you settle your debt.

This company offers email and phone customer service. If you need a no-cost debt assessment, you can call in to speak with a counselor every day from 8 a.m. until midnight EST, and on Saturdays between 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Customers who are already customers can call for assistance via the phone Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 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 excellent user reviews boast about a quick response time and the willingness to help.
Company Reputation

The debt relief industry has plenty of scams to deal with and that's why it's important to research businesses before signing up to use their services. One method to conduct this research is to use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database that lets you search for user complaints among debt settlement companies.

This company has an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars across nearly 35,000 reviews posted by users on Trustpilot.

Because of their excellent 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 about the services of a debt relief company You can file a complaint with the FTC or call 877 FTC-HELP.
Average Relief Amount

National Debt Relief states that the amount you will save is dependent on a variety of factors. However, the majority of people save 30% to 50% off of the original amount of debt, and those savings are realized even after taking into consideration the fees you pay for your repayment program.
Average Time to Relief

Debt settlement through National Debt Relief should take between 24 and 48 months all together that's the standard for other companies. The time it will take to complete your plan can differ based on the amount you owe, how much you can save each month, and other variables like how willing creditors are to bargain.
Cost

National Debt Relief says their average client pays a fee of between 15% and 25 percent of the debt that they have enrolled within their programs. The fee is only charged after the results have been achieved and the debt has been paid with less than the outstanding amount.

The general consensus is that their fee percentage is generally on par with the industry average.
The Competition
National Debt Relief Accredited Debt Relief
Year of Founders 20092011
Accreditation - Accredited with the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
- Accredited with the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA) - Accredited with the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC)
Non-accredited with IAPDA. International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA)
Services Offered Debt settlement Debt settlement
Customer Service TouchpointsFree consultation; Phone and email customer service Client portal online 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% of your debt
Average Program Time 24 to 48 monthsBetween 24 and 48 months

We chose to compare highly-rated National Debt Relief to Accredited Debt Relief Accredited Debt Relief, a debt relief company that scored the second-highest ranking in our research study. Both companies received excellent rankings from Investopedia in relation to its customer support, their company reputation, fees, and services provided. They also provide the same length of program 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 apart due to its IAPDA accreditation. National Debt Relief also offers a helpful online portal that lets customers oversee their program and track their progress at any time of the day or night.
Final Verdict

At the end of the day, there's no debt relief firm we can recommend more then National Debt Relief due to its company excellence, cost and fees, and excellent customer service. This company scored an average rating in the range of 4.63 out of five possible stars in our 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 then you must reach out to National Debt Relief for a free consultation. There are no upfront costs needed, and you'll discover if debt settlement makes sense without any commitment.
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How We Review Debt Relief Companies

Investopedia conducted an independent research which compared over 15 different debt relief businesses by their customer service, company reputation and rankings, the range of products they offer, their pricing, and transparency. We searched for debt relief firms with positive reviews, testimonials from customers, customer service accessibility, as well as the essential information regarding their plans clearly posted online, and firms that have excellent ratings from third parties.

Overall, National Debt Relief scored the highest rating of 4.63 out of 5 stars in our rankings which secured them the top position being "best overall."
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