Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Personal Finance Debt Relief CuraDebt 2025 Review: Can Its Debt Settlement Program Help You? Updated Jun 20, 2025 6-min read Reviewed by Lindsay VanSomeren Reviewed by Lindsay VanSomeren Expertise: Mortgages, personal loans, student loans, auto loans, banking, budgeting, debt, insurance, credit cards, credit Lindsay VanSomeren is a personal finance writer living in Suquamish, Washington. She's passionate about helping people learn how to manage their money better so that they can live the life they want. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, and learning new languages and hobbies. Learn more about Lindsay VanSomeren Learn More CuraDebt may appeal to some for its low-price guarantee and flexible debt options, but its limited availability, outdated website, and lack of transparency make it harder to recommend. For a more reliable experience, we suggest National Debt Relief—our top pick for its transparent process, strong reputation, and thousands of verified positive reviews. Debt Relief Low-price guarantee Many positive reviews Works with several types of debt Outdated website Not available in many states Not transparent about process Limited customer support hours Min. required debt$10,000FeesNot disclosedHow much can you save?40% – 60% CuraDebt is an established debt settlement firm that aims to help customers eliminate debt by defaulting on their loans, which allows CuraDebt to negotiate a lump sum payoff for less. It’s a typical company in the debt settlement world in that it’s big on hype but light on actual details. We’ll share what we know in this CuraDebt review. Table of Contents What is CuraDebt? How it works Is it right for me? Is CuraDebt legit? Pros and cons How to get started Alternatives What is CuraDebt? CuraDebt is based out of Hollywood, Florida, and has been around since 2001. It helps customers by offering debt settlement services for different types of unsecured debts, such as credit cards, personal loans, and even business and tax debts. How does it work? Debt relief companies follow set industry standards. Programs last 2 to 4 years, during which clients stop paying creditors—causing credit scores to drop. Clients make monthly deposits into an FDIC-insured escrow account used to fund settlements. The company negotiates lower payoff amounts and charges a 15% to 25% fee only after a settlement is reached. Reputable firms follow FTC rules and belong to groups like the AFCC or IAPDA. The process with CuraDebt works much the same as with other debt relief programs that focus on settlement negotiations as a means of becoming debt-free. Here’s a brief rundown of how the process works: Consultation: A CuraDebt employee will review your financial profile and debt information to see whether the company can help you. There’s no cost for this service. (Debt settlement companies are prohibited, by law, from charging fees in advance.) Plan proposal: CuraDebt will create a plan to prepare for your debt negotiations, including which debts you’ll enroll in the program and how much you’ll save up each month toward a lump-sum payment. Saving up and defaulting: CuraDebt will tell you to stop making your debt payments, which will cause you to default on your debts. Instead, you’ll make monthly deposits into a third-party account that CuraDebt controls. Typically, these accounts cost $5 to $10 per month extra, although CuraDebt doesn’t disclose these fees. Negotiation: Once you’ve saved up a sufficient amount, CuraDebt will reach out to your creditors on your behalf to try and negotiate a lump-sum settlement. Typically, you’ll see the first settlement offer within four to six months, according to the company. Resolving debts: CuraDebt must get your final permission before accepting any creditor settlement offers and cashing out your savings account to close out your debt. You’ll still keep saving up each month until CuraDebt negotiates each of your enrolled debts, or your creditors refuse to participate in negotiations, whichever comes first. Tax fallout: For each debt you’re able to settle, you’ll generally receive tax paperwork at the end of the year. This form tells you how much debt your old creditor forgave, which you’ll owe taxes on when you file your return. In addition to the dedicated program savings account, it’s wise to save up extra for the tax bill you’ll likely pay once your debt is settled. One of the major downsides of debt settlement is that creditors frequently sue people who participate in these programs. If that happens to you, CuraDebt can refer you to an attorney whom you can hire to help you deal with the lawsuit. We recommend that you also consider other forms of debt relief. Credit counseling, for example, works similarly to debt settlement, but it often entails enrolling in what’s called a debt management plan (DMP). Credit counseling is offered by nonprofit organizations and carries fewer risks than working with a for-profit debt settlement company. How long does the process take? CuraDebt doesn’t provide information about the average timeline for its customers from enrollment to completion. However, debt settlement generally takes most people between 24 and 48 months to complete. Is CuraDebt right for me? CuraDebt doesn’t really stand out when it comes to other personal finance companies offering debt settlement services. It’s even less transparent and offers fewer helpful features than competitors we feel comfortable recommending. That said, given its low-price guarantee, it may be worth considering if the lack of customer-friendly features (like a mobile app or, indeed, customer service availability outside of normal working hours) doesn’t bother you. The details of this low-price guarantee aren’t clear, but assuming you are able to take advantage of it, it could be your most affordable debt settlement option. Remember to ask about all other potential fees that could be included in the program, such as a monthly fee for the dedicated account. Is CuraDebt legit? Yes, CuraDebt is a legitimate company that operates in just over half of the country and maintains state licensure where required. Here’s how customers rate it across various platforms: PlatformRatingNumber of reviewsTrustpilot4.9/5117Yelp4.6/512Google4.8/5326Better Business Bureau4.76/529 Collected in June 2025 Many customers call out the friendly and helpful nature of CuraDebt’s employees in these reviews. But as one Google reviewer notes, “They are great, but not via email, no one EVER responds.” Another customer notes that CuraDebt recommended a $40 monthly legal service that proved unhelpful when a creditor eventually sued them. Pros and cons Here are the main points to consider if you’re thinking of hiring CuraDebt: Pros Low-price guarantee If you get a lower price quote from another company on the same debt settlement services, CuraDebt says it will beat the offer, although the exact terms are unclear. Many positive reviews The company doesn’t have a ton of reviews from actual customers posted online, but of the ones that are available, it’s rare to find a bad review. Works with several types of debt Many debt relief firms only deal with secured debt—for example, personal credit card debt—but CuraDebt says it can help with business and tax debts, too. Cons Outdated website Its website is clunky, confusing, and old, and it doesn’t have a mobile app. That doesn’t inspire confidence that it will be easy to track your progress online in settling your debts. Not available in many states CuraDebt doesn’t operate in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, or West Virginia. Not transparent about process CuraDebt provides no details about how much it costs—only vague wording like, “Our fees are performance-based and fully disclosed upfront.” It doesn’t describe key elements of debt settlement that vary by company, including your chances of being sued or monthly fees for a dedicated program savings account. Limited customer support hours You can only get live support between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday—typically when people are busy working. These hours also aren’t convenient for people who live on the West Coast. How to get started with CuraDebt You can contact CuraDebt by filling out an information form on most of its webpages or by calling 1-877-850-3328. CuraDebt doesn’t provide information about what’s required to get started, but typically, you’ll need to provide basic details about your debts, such as whether they’re secured or unsecured, the amount, the creditor’s name, and the type of debt. Alternatives Here’s how CuraDebt compares with three of LendEDU’s top debt relief companies: National Debt Relief: This company has the highest number of positive reviews we’ve found, numbering in the tens of thousands. It’s more accessible to those with smaller amounts of debt ($7,500 and up), but it doesn’t offer a mobile app. Freedom Debt Relief: Available in 40 states, FDR offers a mobile app for on-the-go customers. Like NDR, FDR also works with folks struggling with smaller amounts of debt ($7,500) compared to CuraDebt ($10,000). Accredited Debt Relief: If you’re more digitally inclined and have at least $10,000 in debt you’re trying to work out of, Accredited offers a mobile app. It’s available for people in 31 states. Best Overall 4.9 Learn More Possible Savings Up to 50% Min. Balance $10K Settlement Fee 15% – 25% 4.9 Learn More Best for Transparency 4.6 Learn More Possible Savings Up to 50% Min. Balance $7.5K Settlement Fee 15% – 25% 4.6 Learn More Best for Customer Experience 4.4 Learn More Possible Savings Up to 50% Min. Balance $10K Settlement Fee 25% 4.4 Learn More