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Freedom Debt Relief Review 2023
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Freedom Debt Relief Review 2023
By NerdWallet. Follow NerdWallet on social media for news and updates
Dec 20, 2022
Edited by Kathy Hinson Lead Assigning Editor Personal finances, credit scoring financial management and debt Kathy Hinson leads the core personal finance team at NerdWallet. Prior to joining NerdWallet, she worked for 18 years working at The Oregonian in Portland in capacities such as chief of the copy desk and team leader for design and editing. Previous experience included copy editing and news for many Southern California newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. She graduated with a bachelor’s in mass communications and journalism in the University of Iowa.
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Freedom Debt Relief, a service provider for debt settlement is a company that negotiates with creditors in order to lower the amount of unsecured debt you have to pay.
It’s one of the many choices for debt relief that consumers have. It is important to think about whether you’re eligible for other debt relief options and then compare charges. Also, consider whether Chapter 7 bankruptcy might wipe off more debtfaster.
This article:
How Freedom Debt Relief Works
How to qualify
Freedom offers assistance to customers who have debt from medical bills, credit cards, personal loans and personal student loans and other kinds of unsecure debt. Generally, you must be in possession of a minimum total debt amount of $7500 to qualify, but certain states have laws that require higher requirements for minimums.
Similar to other debt relief businesses, Freedom cannot help clients with debt that is collateral, like an auto or mortgage loan. The company is also unable to help with the debt arising that is a result of Federal student loans.
A typical customer will have an average of $23,000 in unsecure debt spread across eight to nine credit accounts when they enroll with Freedom as per Sean Fox, the company’s co-president. The amount of unsecured debt could be up to $100,000 or greater, with some clients with 20 or more credit accounts, Fox adds.
The debt settlement process
You can go online or contact them to do an evaluation of your debts and suitability for the program with a Freedom representative. After that, you’ll receive a program overview call, which outlines the program for settlement and you’ll be provided with agreements and documents to take a signature. This is followed by an onboarding call.
When you have enrolled debts into the program, you are no longer paying for the accounts you have enrolled. Instead, you open an account specifically to hold payments for creditors. You’ll control and own the account and deposit monthly funds into it. Freedom works with you determine the amount that will be every month deposited into the account. The amount is determined by your ability to pay and the amount of total debt enrolled, as per the company.
When you stop paying an account with a creditor, you are delinquent on that account. You accrue late fees and interest charges and your credit score decreases. Delinquent accounts stay on your credit report for seven years.
As the money accumulates in the account that is dedicated, Freedom begins negotiating with individual creditors on your behalf to get them to accept lesser than the amount you are owed. The concept is that after months of nonpayment, the creditor will be driven to settle for a lesser amount rather than losing nothing.
If a creditor accepts the lower payoff amount, you make payment to the creditor either in a lump sum or in installments, through your dedicated account. In addition, you have to pay an additional fee for Freedom Debt Relief for its service.
Cost
According to laws, Freedom cannot charge upfront charges; instead it is charged an amount every time it has reached a settlement with a creditor and you have agreed to it and paid at least one installment on it.
The fee ranges from 15% to 25%, dependent on the amount of the debt that is enrolled. It could vary according to state regulations. A person who is able to settle a credit card balance with a balance of $3,000 for instance, will pay between $750 and $1,250 to Freedom for its services.
There’s also a one-time fee of $9.95 to set up the special-purpose account, and an annual fee of $9.95 which covers account maintenance, Fox says. Those fees are levied by the host company of the account and but not through Freedom.
Time frame
Freedom says most customers receive their first settlement within three months, but it can take longer depending on how much you save every month, the amount of accounts you have enrolled into the program, as well as the amount owed on each account. Freedom states that customers who are committed to timely monthly payments to their designated accounts pay off all indebtedness within two to four years on average.
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Freedom Debt Relief at a glance
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What to be aware of concerning Freedom Debt Relief
Reliable to complaints of customers
Freedom has an A+ score at the . The company has received over 350 complaints from customers in the past three years, and has received reports about problems with their service as well as issues with billing and collection. Notably, the company has a 100 percent response rate for customer complaints via the BBB.
Lawsuit
In 2017, the company was accused of being sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, that claimed the company billed people who did not pay their debts according to the terms they promised, made people negotiate their own settlements and misled customers about the fees.
In July, Freedom settled the CFPB lawsuit , signing a settlement agreement that it would pay $20 million in compensation to the affected consumers as well as an additional $5 million civil penalty [0] Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . . Accessed November 12, 2020.
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Risks of debt settlement
The potential risks and drawbacks with debt settlement include:
It hurts your credit
As you’re required to stop paying your outstanding debts to enter into the debt settlement program the accounts will be marked delinquent in your credit report. Your credit scores will take a significant hit which could impact future credit applications, and even job. Accounts that are delinquent over a period of seven years as do loans that charge off accounts.
The odds of success aren’t always certain.
Certain creditors might offer to sell the debt you owe to a third party collection agency or the buyer of debt. Freedom claims it works with the third party and may coach some clients to settle directly with creditors, however results will vary.
The interest and fees build up
Over the period in which you’re part of the debt settlement program there will be additional late fees and interest on your debt. If you don’t stay in the program long enough to finish the program, or in the event that Freedom does not negotiate a settlement, you’ll be left with the debt that is higher.
You might still hear from debt collectors
Because you cease paying your account You could be subject to aggressive collection attempts or even claims from the creditors. Freedom claims it will encourage customers to inform creditors that they are working with the settlement firm and to upload documents to Freedom via their personal online dashboard.
Forgiven debt may be taxed
Since the IRS considers forgiven debt to be taxable income It’s possible that you’ll have to pay taxes on the amount you didn’t have to pay once you settled. Some creditors will send an Annulment of Debt form . The only exception is when you’re insolvent (have more liabilities than assets) at the time you settle your debts with your creditors.
Talking to a tax professional or lawyer to get further advice is highly recommended.
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Freedom Debt Relief vs. other options
Before choosing debt settlement, understand other options, such as the option of paying off debt and other options:
Debt management plan
This could be a good alternative for those with a steady income to repay credit card debts in three to five years. The credit counseling service to reduce your debts to one monthly payment with a lower interest rate. But you won’t have access to credit lines or be able to use your credit cards until the time of payoff.
Consolidation of debt
With this option, you’ll consolidate multiple debts into a new one, typically through the balance transfer credit card or . The new debt will have lower interest rates than your old debts which could help you pay off your debt faster. However, it is often a requirement for an excellent or excellent credit score to be able to qualify, or to obtain favorable terms.
Bankruptcy
The bankruptcy process can help you pay off your debt while protected by a federal court. Most people can eliminate their unsecure debts within between three and six months. However, it is not for everyone. If you’re delinquent on debt, declaring bankruptcy can stop the calls from debt collectors as well as lawsuits filed against the debtor. Your credit will suffer a blow, just similar to debt settlements however, research has shown that credit scores are likely to improve within a year.
DIY debt settlement
You can pick up the telephone, call your creditors and discuss the matter with them on your own. Like using a debt settlement service the odds of success aren’t 100 but it could help you save time and money.
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