If you’re looking for debt relief, you have several options, including debt settlement, debt consolidation, debt management plans, and credit counseling services. Costs, fees, company reputation, availability, and other factors are important to consider.

Custom illustration shows three people: one on the left is putting a large coin into a jar; the one in the middle is climbing out of a laptop and holding a money bag; and the third on the right is celebrating with hands in the air.

Investopedia / Alice Morgan

Best Debt Relief Companies for 2024

Investopedia’s experts put 40 companies through a rigorous evaluation process to identify the best de💫bt relief companies for you. We collected over 2,000 data points and used our subject matter expertise to develop a process for finding the best debt relief coꩵmpanies and services, focusing on costs, fees, reputation, customer experience, and more.

Winners

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I get out of debt?

    First, make a budget. Once you know where your money is going each month, identify extra money that you can allocate toward your debt. Next, try the debt avalanche or debt snowball method for paying off your debt. A debt consolidation loan may also be right for you, but you’ll need to qualify. If you have overwhelming debt, you may want to consider 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:credit counseling or 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:debt settlement services, or file for 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:bankruptcy.

  • How does debt settlement affect my credit score?

    Though it may seem counterintuitive, settling debt often has a negative impact on credit scores. Credit scores are designed to reward accounts that have been paid on time and according to the original credit agreement. A debt settlement plan modifies or negates the original agreement, which causes credit scores to drop. Debt settlement usually requires you to default on your credit accounts as well, which can have severe negative consequences for you𝓡r credit.

  • Which types of debt should you pay off first?

    Debts with the highest interest rates, like credit cards, should usually be paid off first. Paying this debt first will help you pay less overall. Paying off credit cards will reduce your revolving credit utilization, which can improve your credit scores. Debts with lower interest rates and tax-deductible interest, like student loans or mortgages, should be paid on time every month, but paying them off in full is not as 🅘high of a priority.

  • What are the downsides of debt relief?

    Some downsides to debt relief include impacts to your credit score, additional fees and costs, or a higher revolving credit utilization. Debt settlement and bankruptcy can negatively impact your credit. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:They can also be costly, although the forgiven debt helps make up for that. Debt management plans through credit counseling services have potentia꧅l indirect effects—you’ll typically have to close any credit card accounts in the plan, which can lower credit scores. Debt consolidation loans come with interest rates and potential origination fees.

  • What does it take to qualify for debt relief?

    Not all debt relief methods have required qualifications. According to Investopedia research, debt settlement companies often require clients to have $7,500 to $10,000 of debt to begin a program. Credit counseling services (and debt management plans) don’t often have debt requirements. You’ll need to meet credit and income requirements (in most cases) to get a personal loan for debt con🐻solidation or refinancing. Different types of bankruptcy have different debt and income qualifications, among other requirements. And d🤪ebt payoff apps usuall൲y have no qualifications.

Key Terms

Young woman paying off her credit card debt on her laptop.
How Do I Pay Off My Credit Card Debt With🃏 🔯a Home Equity Loan?
Couple considering debt relief
How Does Credit Card Debt Relief Work?
Couple paying their taxes
How to Avoid Paying Taxes on Debt Settlement
Paying Off Medical Debt
How to Pay Off Medical Debt
Couple checking on bankruptcy rates in their state
Bankruptcy Rates by State
An illustration showing a woman managing finances, with the words "Debt Relief and Credit Counseling."
How We Review and Rate Debt Relief Companies
Woman researching whether credit repair companies really work
Do Credit Repair Companies Really Work?
A young man sits at a laptop looking slightly worried.
How Much Does Credit Repair Cost?
Couple figuring out how to pay bills after losing their jobs
How to Pay Your Bills When You Lose Your Job
Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: A form of bankruptcy that allows a company to stay in business and restructure its obligations.
Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: What's Involved, Pros & Cons of Filing
Troubled young couple in a heated argument when checking their finances at home
Bad Debt Recovery: Definition and Tax Treatment
Asian male worries about his debt while sitting in the kitchen at night
Debtor in Possessi𝔍on (DIP): Meaning, Rules, Pros and Cons
Two businessmen discuss the subordination agreement of one of their debtors
Subordination Agreement: 🌳Definition, Purposes, Examples
How To Get Out of Debt illustration
How To Get Out of Debt in 8 Steps
Bullet Transaction
B𒈔ullet Transaction: Meaning, Pros and Cons, Calculation
Debt Assignment
Debtܫ Ass🌃ignment: How They Work, Considerations and Benefits
Dunning
Dunning: ꦕWhat it is and How it Works in Accounts Receivable
Debt Discharge
Debt Discharge: What it is, How it Works
Secured Debt vs. Unsecured Debt
Secured Debt vs. Unsecured D𓆏eꦏbt: What’s the Difference?
A couple performing a balance transfer
Paying Off Debt With a Balance Transfer
Blanket Lien
B🧸lanket Lien: What it is, How it Works, Regulation
pen and financial document
Negatively Amortizing Loan: Overview, H💧istory, FAQ
Insolvency
Insolvency: What It Is and Potential Causes
Dollar Chart
True Interest Cost (TIC): Me🌼aning, Transparency, Calcꦇulation
Why You Need Asset Protection
How to Protect Your Assets From a Lawsuit o🐷r Creditors
Woman reading on the computer.
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act:🦋 Overview
Hippie man looking at his credit card statement sitting at home
Autho𓂃rization Only: Meaning, Transaction Typ💝es, Pros and Cons
Debtor
What Is a Debtor and How🅘 Is It Di🦄fferent From a Creditor?
Two women sit at a desk speaking with another woman at a collection agency
Collection Agency: 🍰൲Definition, How It Works, and Regulations
What Debt Collectors Can and Cannot Do
Charge-Off: A company writing off debt because it doesn't believe it will receive the money it’s owed.
What 💝Does a Charge-Off Mean? Effect on Credi♑t Score and How to Remove
Debt Consolidation: Securing a new loan to pay off existing loans.
What Is Debt Consolidation and When Is It a Go🌃od Idea?
Man at Desk, Looking Stressed
What Happens When You File for Bankruptcy?
businessman listening with the midsection of another person in the photo and a screen behind him with lots of newspapers and other documents on his desk
Collection-Proof: Meaning, Example, Protected Income & Asse🔯ts
Interest Due: The dollar amount required to pay the interest cost of a loan for the payment period.
Interest Due: What it is, How it Works, Example
Demand Letter
Dem♚and Letter: Definitioไn, Purposes, Sample Contents, and Legality
Two women speaking in a room over a table with a laptop
How Financial Advisors Can Help With Debt
Woman starting a billing statement
Time-Barred Debt: Definition, Legal Rules🙈, and Exam👍ple
A woman uses a laptop in a home.
How Do Credit Bureaus Make Money?
Second Chance Loan: What I🃏t Is, How It Works, Pros and Cons
A man calculates which debts to prioritize for a debt avalanche
🎐Debt Avalanche: Meaning, Pros and Cons, and Example
Two people shake hands in an office setting.
Cancellation of Debt (COD): Definition, H🅠ow It Works, How to Apply
Man and woman looking at their credit card debt.
Using Your IRA to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
Members of the American Bankruptcy Institute discuss policy
American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI): What It Is, Hoꦏw It Works
The Risks of Debt Settlement
Debt Settlement: A Guide for Negotiation
Debt collector calls borrower about their past-due debt.
Debt Collector: Definition, Collection Strategies🤡, and Regulations
A woman reviews bills and receipts in her home.
How to Get Out of a Debt Spiral
Person stressed about debt
Avoid Bankruptcy With These Simple Tips
Popular Types of Bankruptcy for Individuals
When to Declare Bankruptcy
Auction House: What it is, History, Types
Woman reading an earnings withholding order
Ea🎀rnin🐎gs Withholding Order: What It Is, How It Works, Example
The Millennial Guide to Medical Debt
Woman signing a debt cancellation contract
Debt Cancellation Contractไ (DCC): Meaning, How It Works, Ex🀅ample
An illustration of a balance sheet, with the words "Best Debt Relief Companies."
Best Debt Relief Companies for June 2025
Woman calls about a waiver of exemption
Waiver of Exemption: What It Is, How It Works
A man reviews documents and uses a laptop.
Fighting Back Against Collection Lawsuits
People sending and receiving money wireless with their mobile phones.
What Is Garnishment? Definition, Causes, P♕rocess, and Legal Limits
Couple talking with a lawyer in an office meeting
Chapter 1𒐪3 Bankruptcy: How It Works, Eligibility, and Alternatives
Should You File for Bankruptcy?
Woman looking at bills on the floor.
What Is a Reasonable Amount of Debt? This Rule Can Help Y🎉ou Know