How this guide is made
We use primary guidance from consumer regulators, federal agencies and courts. A company’s own page supports only a statement about that company’s published program—not an independent endorsement or a rule for the industry.
Research and drafting are AI-assisted and checked against the linked sources. No licensed financial, legal or tax professional review is represented. The date on a page is its source-check date, not a promise of continuous monitoring. Recheck current requirements with the company or agency before acting.
What the directory does
The directory looks up the same category notes for every visitor. A situation choice adds relevant educational context. It never calculates approval, a suitability score, a savings amount or an acceptance probability. The complete category reference is also available without JavaScript.
When court papers are selected, the court-response note appears first. A category needing tax, federal student-loan, housing or legal help keeps that specialist route. No category or situation triggers an application, passes answers to a provider or automatically sends you elsewhere.
When public requirements disagree
On October 16, 2026, National Debt Relief’s qualification page described $10,000 in unsecured debt. A corporate article described $7,500, while its affiliate page described $10,000 in unsecured credit-card debt plus other referral conditions. Those are observations of public pages, not verified current enrollment terms. Confirm the current rule and which accounts count directly with the provider.
Sources: National Debt ReliefNational Debt Relief corporate blogNational Debt Relief
Scope and maintenance
This resource addresses U.S. consumer debt settlement and the boundaries around it. It does not rank providers, evaluate a person’s eligibility, negotiate debt or offer legal representation. It should be reviewed at least quarterly and whenever material law, guidance or program terms change. The linked sources are not sponsors and have not endorsed this website.
Source library
- Federal Trade CommissionHow To Get Out of Debt ↗Budget sustainability, terms, noncompletion and alternatives. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat is a debt relief program and how do I know if I should use one? ↗Settlement risks, creditor participation, alternatives. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat is the difference between credit counseling and debt settlement, debt consolidation, or credit repair? ↗Supports distinction between a debt-management repayment plan and settlement. Guide does not borrow the page's broad credit-reporting timeline statements. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat should I do if I can’t pay my credit card bills? ↗Contact issuer early and consider counseling; reviewed September 2, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauHow do I negotiate a settlement with a debt collector? ↗Verify debt, propose realistic payment, obtain written agreement. Checked 2026-10-16.
- National Debt ReliefDebt Relief Qualifications ↗Provider-authored policy example. Observed page says $10,000+ unsecured debt, hardship and agreed deposits. Also lists conditional/excluded account categories. Its original displayed article date is 2011; present content was checked October 16, 2026. No assurance that every listed policy is offered to every visitor. Checked 2026-10-16.
- National Debt ReliefAffiliate Program ↗Public lead criteria state at least $10,000 unsecured credit-card debt, approved state, seeking help. Treat as public page snapshot, not a verified current commercial agreement. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Freedom Debt ReliefDebt Relief Qualifications ↗Provider-authored description updated March 13, 2026. Used for examples of unsecured debt categories and account-specific private-student-loan consideration. Generalized industry minimums and positive suitability claims on this page are not adopted. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat should I do if I can’t pay a medical bill? ↗Bill accuracy, financial assistance and charity care. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat should I know about medical credit cards and payment plans for medical bills? ↗Supports reviewing financial assistance before financing medical bills and the potential complications/costs of moving bills to credit. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of EducationRepaying Student Loans ↗Official repayment hub and search-indexed primary-source text directs borrowers having payment trouble to their servicer. The page is client-rendered in the text reader. No specific repayment-plan name, eligibility threshold, forgiveness timeline or current litigation status is asserted. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Internal Revenue ServiceOffer in compromise ↗Separate IRS criteria; not a consumer settlement eligibility determination. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat should I do if I’m sued by a debt collector or creditor? ↗Respond by court deadline; legal aid/attorney route; negotiations do not replace response. Checked 2026-10-16.
- United States CourtsFiling Without an Attorney ↗Strongly recommends qualified legal advice because bankruptcy has long-term financial and legal outcomes. Supports consultation for debt discharge, property, payments and chapter questions without diagnosing eligibility. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauPrioritizing bills ↗Official four-page worksheet. Supports protecting housing and income, maintaining insurance and addressing court-ordered obligations when funds are insufficient. The site's illustrative cash-flow arithmetic is original, not this worksheet's scoring method. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Federal Trade CommissionDebt Relief Services & the Telemarketing Sales Rule: A Guide for Business ↗Supports disclosures and fee timing for covered telemarketed for-profit debt relief services. Guide keeps this scope qualifier rather than asserting every possible arrangement falls under the same rule. No fee percentage or savings outcome is recommended. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Internal Revenue ServicePublication 4681 (2025), Canceled Debts, Foreclosures, Repossessions, and Abandonments ↗Canceled debt may be taxable; exceptions and exclusions can apply. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat is credit counseling? ↗Counseling, debt management, how to locate and vet counselors. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Federal Trade CommissionDebt Relief Services & the Telemarketing Sales Rule: A Guide for Business ↗Scope of advance-fee rule and three conditions before covered debt-relief fees. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Freedom Debt ReliefHow Does Debt Settlement Work? ↗Provider lists commonly considered unsecured debt categories; provider evidence, not universal acceptance. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Freedom Debt ReliefFAQs ↗Provider-specific hardship/unsecured-debt scope, legal network limits. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat are my options if a debt collection agency contacts me about my student loans? ↗Private student loan repayment or negotiation varies; federal loans have distinct remedies. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat information does a debt collector have to give me about a debt they’re trying to collect from me? ↗Debt validation, identification, dispute deadlines. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauWhat should I do if I can’t make my car payments? ↗Contact lender/servicer; repossession risk; written options. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauIf I can’t pay my mortgage loan, what are my options? ↗Servicer and HUD-approved housing counseling; reviewed August 28, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Federal Student AidStudent Loan Repayment ↗Official current repayment resources; avoids hardcoding rapidly changing plan names. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Federal Student AidCompare Repayment Plans With Our Repayment Calculator ↗Current name Repayment Calculator, formerly Loan Simulator; estimates are not final servicer terms. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Internal Revenue ServiceGet help with tax debt ↗Federal tax payment options and distinct tax procedures. Checked 2026-10-16.
- USAGovHow to get help collecting child support ↗Links to state/tribal agencies including order review and change services. Checked 2026-10-16.
- United States CourtsDischarge in Bankruptcy — Bankruptcy Basics ↗Domestic support and certain fines have special treatment; not every obligation is discharged. Checked 2026-10-16.
- United States CourtsBankruptcy Basics ↗Official overview; not a substitute for qualified legal advice. Checked 2026-10-16.
- National Debt ReliefDebt Relief Qualifications ↗Public page says $10,000 or more unsecured debt; conflicts with corporate blog $7,500. Do not treat as verified final enrollment policy. Checked 2026-10-16.
- National Debt Relief corporate blogHow Do You Qualify for Debt Relief? ↗Public corporate blog says $7,500 and ability to contribute; conflicts with public qualification page $10,000. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Office of the Comptroller of the CurrencyMy loan was charged off. So why is the bank still requiring payment? ↗Charge-off alone does not erase the debt. Checked 2026-10-16.