By Chris Skeldon 
The goal of debt relief is to reach settlements with creditors allowing you to satisfy past-due debts for a percentage of the original price tag. Borrowers can work with companies like Accredited Debt Relief and similar programs to move through the steps of debt settlement — like making monthly deposits to save up funds to offer creditors and then negotiating with lenders when the time comes.
Your choice of debt relief company can make or break your settlement outcomes. There’s a massive difference between working with a reputable leader in the debt relief industry vs. working with a company that essentially amounts to a scam — making big promises up front but failing to deliver results, all the while acting immorally to take your hard-earned money.
Working with a legitimate debt company can help you address your debts for less if a financial hardship has made it unlikely you’ll ever be able to pay them off normally. Participating in a scam program can end up wasting your time and costing you money without any of the benefits.
What about Accredited Debt Relief? You may have come across this name while doing an internet search about debt relief. So, is this company one of the good ones? Let’s examine it.
What Makes a Good Debt Relief Company?
What is it that sets a good debt relief company apart from the frauds and scammers?
Beware of any debt settlement firm making promises and guarantees. As the Federal Trade Commission advises, no organization can ever guarantee that creditors will resolve debts for less. Any organization making such claims is exaggerating. A legitimate debt relief company will provide you with realistic information, including the potential risks and benefits. They will tell you which outcomes are possible but will never imply that success is 100 percent certain or that they can definitely reduce your debt by X percent.
Another major hallmark of reputable debt relief companies is their commitment to collecting fees only after an account has been resolved. Any organization trying to collect fees up front is actually violating industry regulations. Accredited Debt Relief stipulates they charge between 15 and 25 percent of each enrolled debt — a typical rate for debt settlement companies — but only after the account has been resolved; never right off the top.
Accredited Debt Relief’s Industry Accreditation
One advantage Accredited Debt Relief reviews point out about this company is its membership status with the American Fair Credit Council (AFCC). Becoming an AFCC accredited member requires operating by a high set of standards, like charging fees only after debt resolution as we mentioned earlier.
Companies accredited by the AFCC undergo “secret shopper campaigns,” or audits, to make sure they are upholding the highest industry standards according to state and federal laws. This means Accredited Debt Relief must communicate honestly and transparently with customers, charge fees reasonable for the industry, protect the data privacy of its customers and represent their services and possible outcomes justly.
Working with an AFCC accredited member organization is a convenient way to know, at a glance, that a company operates on the up-and-up — making it a quick way to compare potential debt relief programs while avoiding scams and bad actors.
Now, to answer our original question: Is Accredited Debt Relief a good company? It charges typical fees for the settlement industry, has years of proven experience in the field and maintains an AFCC accreditation. So, all signs point to yes. This means you should compare this firm against other good settlement companies when you’re making a final decision about where to enroll so you can find the best fit.