If you find yourself underwater in debt and are struggling to make payments toward your credit card or loan, a debt settlement company like Achieve Debt Relief might be able to help.
According to the company, customers who complete the Achieve Debt Settlement program reduce their enrolled debt by 30% to 50% on average. However, the debt settlement process can be risky and is not an easy solution.
Business Insider's personal finance team compared Achieve Debt Relief to the best debt settlement companies and found it to be a strong option, with free debt evaluation and a full selection of personal finance options including personal loans.
Read on to see if Achieve Debt Relief is right for you.
Pros and Cons of Achieve Debt Relief
Pros
- Debt resolution could significantly reduce what you owe
- Requires a demonstrated hardship to move forward in the program
- Reduces monthly debt payments
- Alternative to bankruptcy
Cons
- Debt settlement will not fix all of your debts and will affect credit score
- You might be responsible for paying taxes on the money you save through debt resolution
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Overview of Achieve Debt Relief
Achieve Debt Relief is a debt settlement program. A team of experts work with creditors on your behalf to reduce the amount you owe. This allows you to pay off debts faster than making minimum monthly payments and aims to keep more money in your pocket.
Many people turn to debt settlement in an effort to handle matters quickly and when they are feeling overwhelmed, but there are limitations to what debt settlement can do.
Debt settlement through any company, including Achieve, will be reported to the credit bureaus, especially if you settle for less than you owe the creditor. Since your creditor took a financial loss on its business relationship with you, the settlement may negatively affect your credit score.
Achieve Debt Relief works with unsecured debts. It is available in 31 states and works with legal partners to provide debt relief services in 10 more states (Connecticut, Georgia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia). The smallest debt amount that can be enrolled is $7,500, and Achieve accepts debts up to $100,000. The program takes an average of 24-48 months to complete.
Achieve has served over 1.5 million customers and has resolved or consolidated over $20 billion in debt.
How Achieve Debt Relief Works
Achieve Debt Relief focuses on reducing the amount of debt you owe so you can pay it off quicker instead of making minimum monthly payments.
To work with Achieve, you must first demonstrate a hardship. This is an unusual requirement among debt-relief companies and reflects well on Achieve. Qualifying hardships include job loss, unexpected salary reduction, divorce, and medical expenses. Then, you'll go over the debt you would like to enroll with Achieve debt experts and discuss a plan for resolving your debt. That plan will include how much you can afford to pay and what amount you want to settle for.
Once onboarded, you will have access to an online dashboard covering your progress in the program 24/7, and member services are available 7 days a week.
Achieve will negotiate with your creditors on your behalf and work out an agreed-upon settlement plan.
Once you agree to the settlement amount, a payment plan will be implemented.
Key Features of Achieve Debt Relief
Debt Evaluation
Achieve offers a free professional debt evaluation and the assistance of experts who negotiate with creditors on your behalf, often settling your unsecured debt for less than what is owed.
Faster debt payoff
Through the program, members can pay off debts faster by making one low monthly program deposit, typically less than the minimum monthly payments across all of their debts.
Personal finance tools
Achieve also offers personal finance options, including Achieve personal loans, home equity loans, and financial literacy and educational tools.
Achieve GOOD App
Achieve has a mobile app called GOOD, which stands for Get Out of Debt, for users to automate their budgeting and see all of their debt and finances in one place.
Achieve Debt Relief Costs and Fees
Program fees range from 15% - 25% of enrolled debt. The settlement fees are built into your program deposit so there is nothing extra to pay. There are no membership fees to join Achieve, only the monthly or bi-weekly deposit needed for debt negotiations and settlements.
For example, if your total settlement amount after negotiations is $3,600, then you would make a monthly payment to Achieve of $300 every month for 12 months. Achieve will then pay that amount to your creditors to pay off the settlement amount.
Achieve Debt Relief Reviews and Ratings
Achieve Debt Relief has a customer rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot with over 11,000 reviews and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Common complaints include that creditor payments and consolidation loan payoffs were slow.
Achieve Debt Relief is a member of The American Association of Debt Resolution (AADR). All members are accredited through a bi-annual audit for compliance with federal and state regulations as well as AADR industry standards.
Achieve Debt Relief is also a member of the Financial Health Network, an organization dedicated to developing solutions to improve financial health.
Achieve Debt Relief Alternatives
Achieve Debt Relief vs. National Debt Relief
National Debt Relief does not charge upfront fees; like Achieve, its service fees range from 15%-25% of the debt enrolled. It does not charge any fees until you start to see results. Also, like Achieve, there is an eligibility threshold of $7,500 of debt enrolled to work with National Debt Relief, and the debt settlement process can be lengthy.
One advantage of Achieve is that it also offers personal loans, which can help borrowers with bad or fair credit qualify and make the service a one-stop stop.
National Debt Relief offers services in 46 states and Washington, DC, while Achieve Debt Relief offers services in 31 states and works with legal partners to offer services in 10 other states where debt relief through a debt relief company is not allowed (Connecticut, Georgia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia).
If you live in one of those 10 states, your debt resolution will be handled by Achieve's legal partners, which is something to consider, but the additional features like personal loans could still make Achieve a stronger choice.
Achieve Debt Relief vs. Pacific Debt Relief
Pacific Debt Relief does not charge upfront fees, and, like Achieve, service fees range from 15% to 25% based on the amount of your debt. Fees are rolled into your monthly payment and are due only when you start to see results. Also like Achieve, the average time of completion is 24-48 months.
Unlike Achieve, Pacific Debt Relief requires at least $10,000 in debt to enroll in its program. If you have debt between $7,500 and $9,999, you'll choose Achieve.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Rated Achieve Debt Relief
We rate debt settlement services like Achieve Debt Relief by taking into account the following criteria:
- Accreditation by trade associations or organizations
- Fee structures and disclosure
- Number of years in operation
- Money-back guarantees in cancellation policies
- Customer satisfaction based on personal reviews
Read the full breakdown of how we rate debt settlement companies.
FAQs
Can Achieve Debt Relief hurt my credit score?
Yes, Achieve Debt Relief can hurt your credit score. Enrolling in any debt settlement program can be reported to the credit bureaus, negatively impacting your credit score.
How long does it take to complete a program with Achieve Debt Relief?
It takes an average of 24 to 48 months to complete a debt settlement program with Achieve Debt Relief.
Are there alternatives to Achieve Debt Relief?
Yes, there are alternatives to Achieve Debt Relief, or any debt settlement program. Before enrolling, consider negotiating with your creditors on your own, using a balance transfer credit card, or getting a personal loan.
Achieve.com (NMLS ID #138464) offers certain mobile applications that allow consumers to view and analyze their finances. Financial solutions are offered by affiliates of Achieve.com or their service providers. Terms and conditions apply. Not all solutions are available in each state.
