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Personal Finance 2025 National Debt Relief Review: Why It’s LendEDU’s Highest-Rated Debt Relief Company Updated Jan 13, 2025 7-min read Reviewed by Catherine Collins Reviewed by Catherine Collins Expertise: Budgeting, Mortgages, Credit, Debt, Personal loans, Small business, Entrepreneurship Learn more about Catherine Collins Visit Website Debt Relief and Consolidation Excellent company history with thousands of positive customer reviews Fees only collected after successful settlement Accredited by the BBB, AADR, and IAPDA Negative impact on your credit score Process takes time Lack of fee transparency Min. required debt$10,000Settlement feeUp to 25% of total debt enrolled in the programAdditional fees$9 one-time setup fee, $9.85 monthly maintenance feeHow much can you save?Up to 46% of debt before debt relief fees and 25% of debt after fees National Debt Relief is a reputable company with an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and thousands of positive reviews on reputable sites such as Trustpilot. In this National Debt Relief review, we’ll explain how it works, which kinds of debts are eligible, what it costs, and the pros and cons. Table of Contents Skip to Section What is National Debt Relief?How does it work?How long does it take?RequirementsPros and consAlternatives What Is National Debt Relief? National Debt Relief is a for-profit company that helps its customers reduce their debt by negotiating with creditors on their behalf. For this process to work, you stop making payments on your debt, which will damage your credit score. Creditors might still call you asking for payment, and creditors can still sue you for debt owed during this process. How does it work? Once your accounts are behind from nonpayment, National Debt Relief negotiates with your creditors and asks them to settle your debt for less than you owe. Each time the company gets a settlement offer from one of your creditors, you’ll get an offer from National Debt Relief to approve or deny. The company also offers debt consolidation services, which involve combining multiple debts into a single, more manageable monthly payment to streamline this process. An advisor will help you understand whether this is your best course of action. How long does the process take? According to the National Debt Relief website, this process can take 12 to 48 months. This seems to be fairly standard for debt relief services. In the meantime, you will make agreed-upon monthly program payments to National Debt Relief. These are deposited into an FDIC-insured savings account that’s set up in your name and that you control. Your savings will grow while National Debt Relief works, and the funds will be used to pay your creditors and National Debt Relief’s fees once you’ve approved your first settlement plan. When you approve the consolidation or settlement plan and make your first settlement payment, only then National Debt Relief will begin to collect its fees. If your case is not successful, National Debt Relief will not collect fees, and you can withdraw your funds from the savings account. Is National Debt Relief right for me? If you have a significant amount of unsecured debt, such as credit card debt or payday loans, you might be eligible to work with National Debt Relief. The table below shows the eligibility requirements for consumers, including whether the company is available in your state. RequirementsMinimum debt$10,000Eligible debtsMost unsecured debts, including credit card debt, bank loans, payday loans, personal loans, medical debts, collections, repossessions, some business debts, and some private student loan debts.Ineligible debtMortgages, car loans, child support, back taxes, federal student loan debt.Locations47 states (not available in Oregon, Vermont, or West Virginia), Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C. How much does National Debt Relief cost? National Debt Relief charges a monthly fee of $9.85 and a $9 one-time setup fee that’s included in your monthly payment program. The main cost of working with National Debt Relief is the service fee. The company states the average settlement fee is up to 25% of the total amount of debt enrolled on its FAQ page under “What will your service cost me?” This is standard across debt relief companies we’ve reviewed, but it is ambiguous. Several negative customer reviews list a lack of transparency over fees as a primary concern, explaining that the company was not upfront about how much the fees would be when they signed up. Is National Debt Relief reputable? Yes, National Debt Relief is a reputable company with tens of thousands of positive reviews on reputable websites such as Trustpilot, Google, BBB, and Consumer Affairs. It has been in business since 2009 and has earned an A+ BBB rating. The company’s co-founder, Danny Tilipman, created National Debt Relief after his own personal experience with debt. Now, the company has served more than 550,000 customers. Some reviews on the BBB website mention phrases like “very professional,” “very helpful and knowledgeable,” and “thorough” to describe National Debt Relief. Below is a summary of customer ratings and the number of reviews from several respected sites. SourceCustomer ratingNumber of reviewsTrustpilot4.7/540,798Google4.6/59,799Better Business Bureau4.74/54,962Consumer Affairs4.955,482Collected on November 5, 2024. National Debt Relief pros and cons All debt relief companies have pros and cons. National Debt Relief is no exception. Before using National Debt Relief to help you reduce your debt, here are the benefits and drawbacks. Pros Positive reviews National Debt Relief has thousands of positive customer reviews across many platforms. Its track record is evident across many reviews, highlighting good customer service, among other accolades. Accredited National Debt Relief is accredited by numerous organizations. These include the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA), and the American Association for Debt Resolution (AADR). No upfront payments National Debt Relief does not charge fees until you get a debt settlement offer from a creditor, approve it, and make at least one settlement payment. Cons Negative impact on your credit score Engaging in debt settlement typically requires you to stop making payments on your debts, leading to delinquent accounts. This process, common across all for-profit debt relief companies, can damage your credit score and remain on your credit report for up to seven years. Lengthy process Debt settlement is not a quick fix; it often takes 24 to 48 months to negotiate and settle debts. This extended timeline is standard in the industry and can be challenging for individuals seeking immediate relief. Lack of fee transparency While National Debt Relief states that its fees can be up to 25% of the total enrolled debt, some customers have reported concerns about not being fully informed of the exact fees upfront. It’s crucial to have a clear understanding of the fee structure before enrolling; this issue can vary between companies. How to get started with National Debt Relief If you want to work with National Debt Relief, here are the steps. Apply: Go to National Debt Relief’s application page, select your debt amount, and click “Let’s Go.” You’ll be taken to the next page, which asks for your name, phone number, and email address. Get a free consultation: National Debt Relief will contact you after you fill out your application, and you can explain your current financial situation during the free consultation. The website says a representative will call you “in the next few minutes” after submitting, so you should be able to speak with someone quickly. Sign an agreement. If, after having your consultation call, you decide you want to work with National Debt Relief, you’ll sign an agreement to work with the company, which includes agreeing to make set monthly payments to them. The company uses this money to pay your creditors if you approve settlement offers. Stop paying your cards. As part of the debt settlement process, National Debt Relief will advise you to stop making debt payments because your accounts must be in default before creditors will make settlement offers. Wait for debt settlement offers. National Debt Relief will negotiate with creditors on your behalf to reach a settlement. Once the company receives settlement offers from your creditors, you can approve or reject the offer. Approve and pay. Once you have approved the offer, you will pay National Debt Relief and your creditors using the funds accumulated in your dedicated savings account. Alternatives Here’s how National Debt Relief compares to the competition in the debt relief world. In 2025, it earns LendEDU’s highest editorial rating among debt relief companies (4.9/5) and our Best Overall designation. Company Best for… Rating (0-5) CompanyBest for…Rating (0-5) 4.9 Visit Website Best Overall 4.9 Visit Website 4.6 Visit Website Best for Debts Under $10,000 4.6 Visit Website 4.4 Visit Website Best Customer Experience 4.4 Visit Website As we mentioned, when working with any debt relief company (National Debt Relief included), you’ll likely see a significant short-term drop in your credit score. If you don’t think debt relief is a good idea for you, the alternatives might be to tap into your home equity to pay off debt, negotiate with the lenders on your own, or look into a debt management plan from a nonprofit organization. In all, our editorial team has found many positive testimonials from debt relief customers that indicate it’s an excellent route to eliminate debt and get your financial life back on track.