Accredited Debt Review 2025

By Pune Media On Jan 24, 2025 15

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Debt settlement is a form of debt relief that reduces the actual amount of debt you owe. Debt settlement should be carefully considered as you can easily fall for debt settlement scams, and reputable debt settlement services do not come cheap.

While you can negotiate your own debt settlement, a debt settlement company can take the guesswork out of the process. Business Insider’s personal finance team compared Accredited Debt Relief to the best debt settlement services and found it to be one of the best-reviewed services available.

Accredited Debt Relief Overview

Since 2011, Accredited Debt Relief has been helping clients get out of debt through debt consolidation services.

Accredited Debt Relief specializes in helping clients with more than $10,000 in unsecured debt. It helps with credit card debt, personal loan debt, department store credit debt, medical debt, and private student loan debt. Accredited Debt Relief charges 15-25% of your enrolled debt.

Accredited Debt Relief services are only available in 30 states and Washington D.C. You can determine if your state is eligible through Accredited’s website.

How Accredited Debt Relief Works

Whether looking to lower monthly payments or reduce what you owe on your current unsecured debts, Accredited Debt Relief prides itself on matching clients with the debt reduction and/or consolidation option that best meets their unique financial situation and needs. Here’s what to expect:

Contact the experts at Accredited Debt Relief, via phone (800-497-1965) or online, to begin your free consultation. During this process, a team member will review your finances and discuss available options, including debt reduction or debt consolidation.
Redirect payments you’d make toward debts to an account with Accredited Debt Relief.
Once Accredited Debt Relief deems the amount in your account is sufficient, they will reach out to creditors to negotiate a debt settlement, potentially reducing overall amount.
Once debt is settled, you are no longer responsible for the amount.

And, while the company is not a lender, creditor, or debt collector, Accredited Debt Relief does offer referrals for a consolidation loan through affiliate lenders with rates ranging from 5.90%-29.90% with terms of 12-84 months. Eligibility is based on specifics of the requested loan amount and other factors including income, credit scores, and credit history.

Key features of Accredited Debt Relief

In addition to its debt reduction and consolidation services, Accredited Debt Relief boasts a robust array of educational resources on financial wellness. The company’s online Debt Relief Knowledge Hub is well-stocked with loads of information for individuals keen on exploring available debt solution options.

Customer service is accessible by phone as well as by email, 14 hours on weekdays and 13 hours on weekends.

Accredited Debt Relief

Fees

Cost: 15-25% of total enrolled debt

Pros

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Online knowledge hub and blog
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Accredited with AFCC and CDRI

Cons

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Only available in 30 states

Accredited Debt Relief Pros and Cons

Accredited Debt Relief Pros

Free initial consultation
Settles larger debts
Multiple accreditations

Accredited Debt Relief Cons

Risky way to get out of debt
No guarantee of success
Might impact credit

Accredited Debt Relief Cost and Fees

Services from Accredited Debt Relief come with no upfront fees. In fact, you won’t pay a dime — in origination fees or otherwise — until the company is able to help you successfully reduce your enrolled debt.

That said, a performance fee ranging from 15-25%, depending upon the dollar amount of debt and level of negotiation required, is charged once the company has successfully settled your eligible debt.

Accredited Debt Relief Reviews and Ratings

True to its name, Accredited Debt Relief holds accreditation with the American Fair Credit Council, Consumer Debt Relief Initiative, and Better Business Bureau.

Accredited Debt Relief is highly rated by customers. Customers on Trustpilot gave Accredited Debt Relief an average of 4.8 stars across 7,598 reviews, with 97% of customers giving the company four or five stars.

The company received an average of 4.89 stars across 2,427 reviews on its BBB page. It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Accredited Debt Relief Alternatives

Accredited Debt Relief is also one of the highest-rated debt settlement companies, more popular among customers than National Debt Relief and CreditAssociates Debt Relief, which are both debt settlement companies listed in our guide to the best debt settlement companies.

Accredited Debt Relief vs. National Debt Relief

National Debt Relief offers a “satisfaction guarantee,” but the policy does nothing more than adhere to federal regulations, which apply to all debt settlement companies. Once a debt is settled, the guarantee no longer applies regardless of whether you’re satisfied with the outcome.

One area where National Debt Relief comes up short is the limited availability of its customer service. Support for existing clients is offered exclusively by phone Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Support for new customers is also available on weekends. There is no email or online chat support in either case.

This is much less than Accredited Debt Relief’s customer service, which operates from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST on Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Read our National Debt Relief review.

Accredited Debt Relief vs. CreditAssociates

CreditAssociates provides a free consultation with a certified debt consultant before you enroll in a debt settlement program. The consultation does not oblige you to continue with the program; you can choose not to participate without penalty.

Where CreditAssociates falls short is that the company is not as transparent as Accredited Debt Relief about what it actually does to settle your debt. Be sure to ask plenty of questions before signing up. If you want fee transparency without having to ask, you might consider Accredited Debt Relief.

Read our Credit Associates Debt Relief Review.

Accredited Debt Relief FAQs

Accredited Debt Relief can only help with unsecured debts — in other words, those without collateral attached. This means it can help with credit card debt, medical bills, and payday loans. Secured debts, such as mortgages or auto loans, are not eligible for help from Accredited Debt Relief. The same goes for federal student loans.

Debt relief can take some time so results can vary, but many clients see significant debt reduction within 24-48 months of working with Accredited Debt Relief.

Yes, Accredited Debt Relief is a legitimate company. It complies with all the regulations that apply to credit-related services and debt settlement services, and holds certifications with the American Fair Credit Council, Consumer Debt Relief Initiative, and Better Business Bureau.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Accredited Debt Relief

The debt relief industry has several trade associations and organizations that offer accreditation for debt and credit-related services. Examples include the American Fair Credit Council, the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators, the Consumer Debt Relief Initiative, and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Reputable debt relief and debt management services don’t need accreditation from all of these groups, but should be accredited by at least one. Accredited Debt Relief has many accreditations and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

We also reviewed and rated Accredited Debt Relief’s services according to its fee structures (including the range of potential fees and how clearly they are disclosed in advance), the number of years in operation, money-back guarantees in cancellation policies, and customer satisfaction based on personal reviews.

Read the full breakdown of how we rate debt settlement companies.

Jennifer Streaks

Senior Personal Finance Reporter and Spokesperson

Jennifer Streaks is a Personal Finance Expert and Journalist who writes about credit and all things money for Business Insider. Committed to financial literacy and economic empowerment, she has covered financial topics for over a decade, writing about her own experiences and sharing her expertise to give consumers actionable financial advice.Along with exploring credit scores, credit reports, and how to build credit, Jennifer analyzes how current economic trends impact everyday people and offers her expert advice on budgeting, saving, and growing wealth in today’s economy. She regularly appears as an on-air financial commentator on programs like Good Morning America, Yahoo! Finance, CBS, and MSNBC.ExperienceBefore joining Business Insider, Jennifer was a financial contributor for CNBC and covered personal finance, entrepreneurship, tech, and the economy for Forbes. Her work has appeared in TheGrio, Black Enterprise, and USA Today. Jennifer is also the author of “Thrive! … Affordably: Your Month-to-Month Guide to Living Your Best Life Without Breaking the Bank.” The book offers advice, tips, and financial management lessons geared toward helping the reader highlight strengths, identify missteps, and take control of their finances.Jennifer’s most important financial advice to her friends is to always have an emergency fund.ExpertiseJennifer’s expertise includes:

Credit scores
Credit history
Credit reports
Budgeting
Saving
Housing
Retirement
The economy
Financial trends

EducationJennifer earned an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business and completed the Wharton Seminar for Business Journalists.Jennifer is based in New York City.