Is Accredited Debt Relief legit?
Yes — it's a legitimate, AFCC-accredited company. Legit doesn't mean cheapest or right for you.
- Accredited Debt Relief offers debt settlement and refers some people to other options, like consolidation loans.
- It follows the FTC rule against charging any fee until a debt actually settles.
- Your money goes into a dedicated account in your name that you control.
- The catch: it sometimes hands you to a partner company, so confirm who runs your program before you sign.
Is Accredited Debt Relief a real company?
Yes. Accredited Debt Relief is accredited by the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC), the industry group for settlement firms. It works with unsecured debt — the kind with no collateral, like credit cards and medical bills. Here is how settlement works: you stop paying creditors and pay into a dedicated account instead. Once that balance is large enough, a negotiator settles each debt for less than you owe.
It also acts as a marketplace at times. That means it may pass you to a partner company that services the program. That is common in this industry, but it changes one thing for you: the company you talk to first may not be the one you pay. Ask who actually runs your program before you sign.
What Accredited Debt Relief costs
Illustrative — typical figures for the industry; your quote may differ. See what settlement would cost you →
The fee is a percent of the debt you enroll, not the amount you save. On $20,000 of debt at 20%, that is $4,000 in fees. You pay nothing until a debt settles, which is the FTC rule a legitimate firm follows. Two costs are easy to miss: your credit drops during the wait because you go behind on purpose, and the forgiven part of a debt is usually taxed as income. Wiping out $8,000 can come with a tax bill on that $8,000. Compare it against other firms and read the full cost breakdown before you commit.
✓ It fits if
- You have at least $10,000 in unsecured debt you can't realistically pay in full.
- You've ruled out no-cost credit counseling first.
- You want an accredited firm and a dedicated account in your own name.
✕ Skip it if
- Your debt is under the minimum, or you can pay it down on your own.
- A drop in your credit or a lawsuit from a creditor would sink you.
- You haven't checked whether your state limits these programs.
Because Accredited Debt Relief can route you to a partner, confirm exactly which company will run your program and how the fee works before you sign. A creditor can still sue you while you wait, and not every state allows these programs.
Rule out no-cost help first. A nonprofit credit counseling session can tell you whether a cheaper path fits before you pay a percent of your debt to settle it.