Personal finances are most of the times a subject we learn by doing and often after a few giant mistakes. Few of us had a solid budgeting education from our childhood, and fewer were able to go through college or early adulthood years without amassing a consistent amount of debt from student loans or bad decisions during the sales season.
However, as we move into maturity, we need to take control over our finances, grow out of debt and embrace a balanced and responsible life. Sometimes, the best way to do that is to gather all our previous debt in one place, in a consolidated loan, and pay just one monthly installment. Debt settlement is the riskier option where you create a savings account for a few years to use as a negotiation base in the hope that you will repay debt with a lump sum. This route can get you sued by the creditors before you negotiate but is preferred if you already have a poor credit and can’t get a good deal in a consolidation.
Inspired by the list of Best Debt Consolidation Loan Companies of 2017 – AAACreditGuide I’ve tried to make a top of the companies that can help you become debt free through one of the methods.
Avant
If you are in the good credit score range (600-700) and are ready to pay about 25% APR for the next 2-5 years, you could consider Avant as your partner. They even offer late payment forgiveness once if you can make three consecutive on-time payments afterward, so they really want to help you get a better score.
Upstart
This is an excellent option for young professionals with short credit histories and average scores, but with great potential demonstrated by education and employment. It could be a way to get out faster (3-5 years) from student loans and build a top score for further investments, like a mortgage.
One Main
This high rated company if the one to choose if you need a smaller amount, even as low as $1500. This organization asks for secured credit for borrowers with poor credit scores to help them get better rates, which are around 20% but can go even higher. Not available in all states.
Lending Club
This is more of a demand meets offer site since it is peer-to-peer and can offer lower rates if your score recommends you as lower risk. Expect to get $40,000 at most and a reduction of about 30% of your total debt. The APR is anything between 5-30%, and there is no guarantee that you will get the loan, even if you check all the boxes. It is worth trying if you have a high score and are looking to get a better rate compared to credit cards.
PersonalLoans.com
This is a service designed for those who have a poor credit history and who want flexibility. Depending on your specific situation you can take a loan ranging from $500 to $35,000 for a time between 6 months and 6 years and an APR reflecting your risk.
National Debt Relief
This service is considered one of the best and usually spans over 2-4 years, offering an average reduction of about 30% of the initial debt. Don’t plan how to spend all the extra money, since you will face a fee of 18-25% of the reduced debt. They require one of the lowest debts to enroll in the program, just $7500.
Accredited Debt Relief
They offer terms similar to those provided by National debt relief, the only difference is that the amount expected to be saved as an average is just 25% of the initial debt, which makes it less appealing.
New Era Solutions
They require at least $10,000 to consider a contract and are considered very transparent and reliable by past clients. According to its website is not accredited by the AFCC, but by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).
Freedom Debt Relief
This company also looks for heavy-duty debt, in the five or six-figure range and they offer dedicated support to those enrolling in their programs including a lawyer if the client is under trial by creditors during the debt settlement process.
Pacific Debt Relief
The professionals from Pacific promise those with a debt exceeding $10,000 a reduction of about 30% of the initial debt and you are looking at about 20% of that amount to return as a commission for their counseling services.