American Credit Group

BEST OVERALL - The choice was easy. This full service (work done in-house) company provides debt settlement and credit services. They offer two services for less than most of its competitors charge for one. American Credit Group only charges 25% of Your Total Savings for Debt Settlement and their Comprehensive Credit Improvement Services which is designed to help you rebuild your credit as you pay off your debt. Actual debt settlement fees are below 20% of your total savings. Of the companies we included in our review ACG is the only one with 0 complaints registered with the Better Business Bureau in three years. They also utilize trust accounts to secure your low monthly payments.

Rating: Best Overall

Superior Debt Relief Services

"...One of the first debt settlement companies and have been a trailblazer in the settlement industry for more than 10 years now," according to their web site. They do the work in-house and have a reasonable number of BBB complaints (17). However their fees are slightly higher than the industry standard (28% of savings). This is otherwise a very good company with a company culture that advocates no pressure sales methods. We found their reps to be very informative and patient with our long list of questions.

Rating: Very Good

Christian Debt Consolidators

This is another mixed bag with great reasons to use them and a couple of reasons you may want to consider another firm. Their fees are the industry standard 25% of Your Total Savings. Trust accounts are used and they also are one of the few companies who offer both debt settlement and consumer credit counseling which gives you more options.. However they are not a full service company. Their work is sent out to third parties. We are also concerned about the number of complaints registered with the BBB (43), All in all the pricing and additional alternative services gives you something to consider.

Rating: Good

Oak View Law Group

Oak View Law Group is in fact a law group. However, they operate as a debt settlement firm, legal representation comes with a separate fee. However their BBB record (16 complaints) isn't bad and the work is done in-house and the industry standard 25% of Your Total Savings. The combination of good price and BBB record helped push this company towards the top despite their expensive trust account fees.

Rating: Good

Credit Solutions

Over 250,000 people from every walk of life have entrusted Credit Solutions to help them become debt-free according to their web site. Their fees are the lowest of all the companies on this list and and they do the work in-house, but we are not willing to overlook the number of BBB complaints (1255). Almost all of their BBB complaints are resolved to their customers satisfaction. We, however, believe customer service should happen prior to the customer seeking a third-parties help. Yet they remain one of the biggest in the industry.

Rating: Good, but...

National Debt Resolution

National Debt Resolution is good, but their fees are high. They do have a low number of BBB complaints (18) and they also work on your account in-house which are all good. Its just hard to overlook price in an industry where most companies are going to provide very similar services, with the exception of companies who offer additional services.

Rating: Good, but

DMB Financial

DMB Financial is a leader in consumer protection. They were one of the first companies to institute the FTC regulation pricing model long before it was required for their customers. They collect no advanced fees prior to settling your debt. They use trust accounts for your protection and the work is done in-house. However their fees are very expensive. They charge 40% of what they save you (see pricing for examples). If they had more reasonable pricing they would rank much higher on this list.

Rating: Good, but...

Freedom Debt Relief

Freedom Debt Relief is well known, accredited and has won several serivce awards. They also rated very high in our review for additional services. They are a service provider for other debt enrollment companies. The work is done in-house and they utilize trust accounts for your protection. However their fees are simply too high. They also have a significant number of BBB complaints (249). Granted they have a very large number of clients and proportionally their number of complaints may be low. However, we feel that they should be able to resolve more issues before the client feels the need to go to a third-party for help.

Rating: Okay

Total Debt Services

Total Debt Services has switched from being a full service company to using the "Attorney Model." The major draw back besides using a third party for settlement services is the new pricing. They have reasonable settlement fees 15% of Your Total Debt, however they now have you pay a retainer and monthly service fee which adds up. They ranked much high when services were handled in-house and the fees were more reasonable. Fortunately their BBB record is still very good and they use trust accounts to keep your money secure as you resolve your debt. Their no pressure sales rep explained how their service works without making us feel obligated which was nice in this highly competitive industry.

Rating: Expensive

Debtmerica

Debmerica is expense and they contract out your case to a third party. That is why they are in this position on the list. They would otherwise be a good choice. Low number of BBB complaints (15) and the use of trust accounts to secure your money are pluses. We didn't like that they are not a full service company. They use a third-party (Freedom Debt Relief - see below) to negotiate and settle your accounts. But they are very capable at a very high price.

Rating: Expensive