What is the top 5 debt consolidation companies?
Best overall: Accredited Debt Relief
It has an outstanding 4.9 rating with Trustpilot (as of January 26, 2024) and an A+ grade with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Working with Accredited Debt Relief starts with a free phone or online consultation.
- Upgrade: Best overall.
- SoFi: Best for no fees.
- Happy Money: Best for paying off credit card debt.
- LightStream: Best for low rates.
- Universal Credit: Best for bad credit.
- Best Egg: Best for secured loan option.
- Discover: Best for fast funding.
- Achieve – Best for Paying off Credit Card Debt.
- Discover – Best for No Interest If Repaid Withing 30 Days.
- Best Egg – Best for Debt Consolidation Perks.
- LendingClub – Best for Peer-To-Peer Lending.
- LightStream – Best for Low Interest Rates.
- SoFi – Best for Large Loan Amounts.
Best overall: Accredited Debt Relief
It has an outstanding 4.9 rating with Trustpilot (as of January 26, 2024) and an A+ grade with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Working with Accredited Debt Relief starts with a free phone or online consultation.
- U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card. Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 21 billing cycles. ...
- Citi Simplicity® Card. Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 21 months. ...
- Fifth Third 1% Cash/Back Card. Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 21 months. ...
- Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card. ...
- Wells Fargo Reflect® Card.
Many clients have left positive comments about National Debt Relief's helpfulness and overall client service in guiding them through the debt negotiation process. National Debt Relief has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is BBB-accredited. The company earns a 4.58-star rating based on client reviews.
Consolidating your debt can lower your monthly payments, but it can also cause a temporary dip in your credit score.
The best debt consolidation company overall is LightStream because it offers debt consolidation loans of up to $100,000 with an APR range of 5.95% to 20.24%. LightStream does not charge an origination fee, and it offers the possibility of getting the loan funded the same day you apply.
CNBC Select researched more than a dozen debt relief companies, and New Era Debt Solutions was the best overall, thanks to its (slightly) lower fees and high customer satisfaction ratings. If you have a large amount of debt (think more than $10,000), then National Debt Relief is also a strong choice.
Working with a debt management company can result in less debt or a faster payoff — but there are often hefty fees, often up to 25 percent of the debt enrolled, attached to the services.
How long will it take to pay off $20000 in credit card debt?
It will take 47 months to pay off $20,000 with payments of $600 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.
- Make a list of all your credit card debts.
- Make a budget.
- Create a strategy to pay down debt.
- Pay more than your minimum payment whenever possible.
- Set goals and timeline for repayment.
- Consolidate your debt.
- Implement a debt management plan.
Taking out a debt consolidation loan may help put you on a faster track to total payoff, especially if you have significant credit card debt. Credit cards don't have a set timeline for paying off a balance, but a consolidation loan has fixed monthly payments with a clear beginning and end to the loan.
You can be denied a debt consolidation loan if you don't meet the lender's criteria. You may be denied if you have a poor credit score, too many negative marks on your credit report, or not enough income. You may also be denied if you have a debt-to-income ratio that's too high.
Banks, credit unions, and installment loan lenders may offer debt consolidation loans. These loans convert many of your debts into one loan payment, simplifying how many payments you have to make. These offers also might be for lower interest rates than what you're currently paying.
Fees for debt consolidation are around 4% with a debt consolidation loan and 3.12% with a balance transfer credit card, on average. The fees you need to watch out for when consolidating debt are origination fees on loans and balance transfer fees on credit cards.
The risks and drawbacks associated with debt settlement include: It hurts your credit: Because you're required to stop making payments on enrolled debts, those accounts will be marked delinquent on your credit reports.
"The nearly $5 billion in additional debt relief announced today will go to teachers, social workers, and other public servants whose service to our communities have earned them Public Service Loan Forgiveness, as well as borrowers qualifying for income-driven repayment forgiveness because their payments are for the ...
How Will Freedom Debt Relief Affect My Credit? Debt relief can negatively affect credit scores because creditors typically aren't willing to negotiate until you're behind on payments. Payment history carries the most weight for FICO score calculations, so if you're paying late or not at all, your score can take a hit.
Consolidating debt can be a good idea if you have good credit and can qualify for better terms than what you have now and you can afford the new monthly payments. However, you might think twice about it if your credit needs some work, your debt burden is small or your debt situation is dire.
What does your credit score need to be to consolidate?
Minimum credit score | 600 |
---|---|
APR | 9.57% - 35.99% |
Loan length | 24 to 60 months |
Loan amount | $1,000 to $40,000 |
Origination fee | 1.00% - 8.00% |
While choosing to consolidate debt with a personal loan does mean you're trading one kind of debt for another, this strategy comes with considerable advantages — at least for people who can qualify for a personal loan with affordable interest rates and fair terms.
But the good news is that credit card debt forgiveness does exist — it's just not government-sponsored.
Looking up their reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and checking for any complaints filed with your state's attorney general is a great start. Compare multiple offers: Don't take the first offer you see. There are plenty of reputable debt consolidation loan lenders and programs.
Borrower credit rating | Score range | Estimated APR |
---|---|---|
Excellent | 720-850. | 14.21%. |
Good | 690-719. | 17.00%. |
Fair | 630-689. | 19.95%. |
Bad | 300-629. | 22.20%. |
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