Freedom Debt Relief – 2024 Review

In today's economy with rising inflation and high interest rates, many Americans find themselves struggling with debt. The increased costs for goods and services mean that people are spending more, making it hard to keep up with bills and loan payments. This situation leads many to seek help in managing their financial burdens. Many people have turned to Freedom Debt Relief, which offers a solution for those struggling to get their debt under control.

Freedom Debt Relief specializes in helping individuals reduce their debt. The company works with creditors to negotiate lower balances on behalf of their clients to make debts more manageable. Services include creating personalized debt relief plans that address each person's unique financial situation, with the goal of helping them get rid of debt faster than they could on their own.

Freedom Debt Relief – Company Review

Freedom Debt Relief was founded in 2002 and currently serves customers in 22 states. The company offers debt management services to reduce the amount of money clients pay over time and provide a more streamlined path for them to get out of debt via debt negotiation and settlement by a team of experts.

Pros

• No upfront fees
• Customers hold funds in an account they control
• A+ accredited BBB rating
• Customers can approve debt settlement offers before they occur

Cons

• Not all types of debt are eligible
• Debt relief programs can take up to four years to finish
• Requires $7,500 of debt to qualify
• Not available in several states

Year Founded: 2002
BBB Rating: A+
Areas Served: 22 states, including Maine, South Dakota, and Utah
Fees: 15% to 25% of enrolled debt
Customer Service Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST on weekends

The company has more than 1,600 employees across the company who are skilled in working with various types of debt and partnering with creditors to reach a fair debt solution for each customer. It’s also a member of several organizations to help build trust in its customers.

Why We Chose Freedom Debt Relief

Consistently ranked among the best debt forgiveness companies, Freedom Debt Relief has over 20 years of experience in the debt relief industry and has helped more than 850,000 people work toward financial freedom with its easy-to-follow Freedom Debt Relief program. Its partnership with creditors and experienced debt consultants and negotiators has allowed the company to wipe away billions of dollars in debt since its founding.

👉 Related Reading: Pros and Cons of Debt Settlement

Freedom Debt Relief Program: How It Works

Everyone who calls Freedom Debt Relief with an interest in starting a program with the debt settlement company begins with a debt consultation. During your call, you’ll speak with a consultant about your enrollable unsecured debt, so be sure to have this information readily available. Your debt consultant will explain how a debt relief program works and offer you a quote for your plan, including how long it’ll take you to pay it off and how much you can expect your monthly payment to be.

Once enrolled, you’ll continue making a monthly payment to Freedom Debt Relief while debt relief specialists work to negotiate, settle, and pay your debts. You can approve any negotiations or settlements before they’re finalized.

Types of Debt Accepted

Like other companies with a debt settlement program, Freedom Debt Relief only works with unsecured debts. Unsecured debts are those that aren’t secured by something else, like an auto loan or mortgage. Therefore, some types of debt from your creditors won’t be able to be enrolled in your debt management program.

Freedom Debt Relief requires you to have at least $7,500 of enrolled debt, which is less than many other companies. This can be in the form of a single type of debt, like credit card debt, or a mix of accepted types of debt.

Here’s what Freedom Debt Relief can help with:

Credit Card Debt and Store Card Debt

One of the most common types of debt to be enrolled in a Freedom Debt Relief plan is credit card debt or store-specific credit card debt. Credit cards – especially store-specific cards – typically come with very high interest rates, which can pile interest onto your balance quickly. If you can only afford your minimum payment each month, you’ll likely get stuck paying your balance for years without making much of a dent in it.

Medical Debt

Medical debt can include bills from emergency room visits, hospital days, office visits, prescription medications, and any other medical-related expenses you’ve fallen behind on paying. With the average doctor visit costing between $80 and $150, medical debt can rack up quickly, especially if you don’t have decent health insurance or are uninsured.

Although many hospitals and physician offices have sliding pay scales and payment plans, not everyone qualifies for them, and people who have frequent visits may not be able to keep up with regular payments toward their debt.

Personal Loan Debt

A personal loan is one given by a bank, credit union, or lender for a major purchase. Some people use personal loans to consolidate debt, pay for home upgrades, or book a vacation, for example. While people with a high credit score might qualify for a relatively low interest rate on a personal loan, the average person qualifies for about a 15% interest rate these days, which can add up quickly on a large loan.

Private Student Loans

Private student loans cover tuition, fees, and other education-related costs for college, like housing, transportation, and books. They come from a private lender rather than the federal government and, therefore, may have higher interest rates attached to them. Freedom Debt Relief doesn’t enroll federal student loan debt, but unsecured private student loans are enrollable.

👉 Related Reading: 13 Ways To Reduce Student Loan Debt

Other Debt Management Services

When you’re learning how to get out of debt or avoid bankruptcy, it’s important to understand all your options. For many, debt settlement with Freedom Debt Relief can help reduce their debt amount and work toward fixing bad credit, but it’s not the only debt relief option.

If Freedom Debt Relief doesn’t believe that a debt management plan is the best choice for your debt, the company may guide you toward one of the following solutions instead.

DIY Debt Solutions

In some cases, you may be able to whittle down your debt yourself, especially if you have a low amount of debt and can afford to make more than your minimum monthly payment.

If you DIY your debt, you won’t need to worry about service fees for a debt management plan or potential fees involved with balance transfers and other methods of debt consolidation. However, you’ll need to commit to sticking to a budget so you can wipe away credit card debt, personal loan debt, and other forms of debt without digging yourself further into a financial hole.

Debt Negotiation

Freedom Debt Relief prioritizes debt settlement, which involves settling your debt for less than what you owe in exchange for a full payment. Although it’s one of the quickest and most straightforward ways to reduce your debt, this isn’t always possible for all consumers to manage.

That’s where debt negotiation can come in handy. Freedom Debt Relief can work with your creditors to negotiate better terms for your debt, like a lower interest rate, to make it more manageable for you to pay your enrolled debt amount.

Budgeting

Budgeting is a DIY debt solution that Freedom Debt Relief’s debt specialists will likely work with you on while you’re enrolled in a debt management program. It’s also something they’ll mention to you if a debt management program isn’t right for you. Because budgeting allows you to designate where your money goes, it simplifies the process of tucking money away to pay down your debt. The more you can manage to put toward your debt, the quicker you’ll be debt-free.

Credit Counseling

Credit counseling is a helpful way to learn about debt management options specific to your needs. You can often find credit counseling through nonprofit organizations. Some financial institutions, like banks and credit unions, also offer it for free to their members. This can be a helpful solution if you’re trying to weigh all your options before committing to a debt management program.

👉 Related Reading: What Is Good Debt vs Bad Debt?

How Much Does Freedom Debt Relief Cost?

Most consumers pay 15% to 25% of their enrolled debt as a service fee to Freedom Debt Relief. So, if you enroll $10,000 in debt, you could pay between $1,500 and $2,500 as a fee.

However, you won’t need to pay the fee until Freedom Debt Relief successfully settles your debt on your behalf. Once a debt gets settled, Freedom Debt Relief will send you a summary of the settlement and what you need to pay for your first payment. That summary will include your monthly payment plus the charged fee, so you’ll have the opportunity to approve your payment before paying it.

How to Get Started with Freedom Debt Relief

Get started with Freedom Debt Relief online by choosing the amount of debt you plan to enroll and answering a few questions about your situation. After completing the form, a debt consultant will reach out to you.

You can also call Freedom Debt Relief at 800-910-0065 to ask questions about the process or to begin your enrollment. Your debt consultant will then walk you through the process of enrolling your debt and explain how your debt management plan will work.

How To Cancel Your Debt Management Plan

Freedom Debt Relief allows cancellations for debt management plans at any time throughout your plan. You won’t get charged a penalty fee for canceling if you decide you no longer want to keep your debt enrolled or can’t afford to make payments.

To cancel, let the company know via a written or email notice. Your debt consultant will return any money held in your account minus service fees owed to Freedom Debt Relief within seven business days.

Customer Service Contact Info.

Anyone can call 800-910-0065 to speak with a debt consultant from Freedom Debt Relief. This is the best way to get answers to your questions before enrolling, to learn more about debt management plans, or to start your enrollment. You can also email [email protected].

If you’re a current client of Freedom Debt Relief, call 800-655-6303 instead or use [email protected]. Both support numbers have customer service hours throughout the week and are open most days besides major holidays like Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

FAQs

Is Freedom Debt Relief legit?

Yes, Freedom Debt Relief is a legitimate debt management company with testimonials from real clients who have found debt relief. Freedom Debt Relief proves its legitimacy in several ways, like not charging upfront fees for debt management plans, offering free debt consultations before enrollment, and providing transparent terms that are easy for clients to understand.

Will Freedom Debt Relief hurt my credit score?

Freedom Debt Relief doesn’t directly affect your credit score. However, a knock to your credit score can happen naturally with any debt management plan, as you’ll stop making regular payments to creditors while the debt relief company negotiates your debt. This can temporarily decrease your credit score until you begin paying off debts.

Can I withdraw money from my Freedom Debt Relief account?

Yes. When you enroll with Freedom Debt Relief, you’ll have a dedicated account that you control, meaning that you can withdraw money from it at any time. However, note that doing so may affect the settlements Freedom Debt Relief has in place for you, which could make it take longer to pay off your enrolled debt.

When does Freedom Debt Relief begin negotiations with creditors?

The company will begin negotiations when you have enough money saved in your dedicated account to put toward a settlement, which could take a few months, depending on your monthly payment.

Will I still get harassed by creditors after enrolling?

It’s possible. After enrolling your debt, you’ll stop making payments to creditors while Freedom Debt Relief works on negotiations. Therefore, you could still get phone calls from creditors until you pay off your debts.

What is the Freedom Debt Relief Promise?

Freedom Debt Relief promises its clients four things: clear terms, a free consultation, a personalized assessment, and a program guarantee. The guarantee ensures that if you end up paying more to settle your debt than your initial enrolled debt amount, Freedom Debt Relief will refund you the difference.

Is Freedom Debt Relief Right for Me?

It’s necessary to find a debt management company with the features you need for your specific financial situation. Is Freedom Debt Relief that company?

One way it stands out among competitors is that it only requires $7,500 in enrolled debt to get you started, whereas most companies require you to enroll at least $10,000. So, people with less debt can still get help.

Freedom Debt Relief offers a guarantee, and will refund you if your settlement costs exceed the debt you originally enrolled. You can also cancel your plan at any time if you feel like it’s not meeting your needs.

Because, like several other companies, Freedom Debt Relief offers a free consultation, you can learn more about how its debt management works before making a financial commitment. Spend a few minutes doing this to ensure it meets your expectations before enrolling.