Our Editorial Policy and Vetting Process

How We Select Services to Review

We begin by identifying the most commonly used services in each category — debt settlement, credit repair, credit monitoring, and consolidation lending. We evaluate services based on the following criteria:

• Regulatory standing: Is the company in good standing with the FTC, CFPB, and relevant state regulators? Have there been enforcement actions?
• Consumer complaint history: What do CFPB complaints, BBB records, and independent review platforms show? We pay attention to complaint patterns, not just star ratings.
• Fee transparency: Does the company clearly disclose its fees before enrollment? Are there hidden charges? Do they comply with the TSR requirement of no upfront fees for debt settlement?
• Track record: How long has the company been operating? What is their completion rate for enrolled clients? Do they have verifiable results?
• Consumer experience: How easy is the enrollment process? Is there a dedicated representative? How do they handle complaints and cancellations?

How Compensation Works

Some of the services featured on this site pay us a referral fee when you click through and take a qualifying action (such as requesting a consultation, signing up for a free account, or enrolling in a program). These are called affiliate commissions.

This compensation does not affect:

• Which services we choose to review or recommend
• How we describe a service's strengths or weaknesses
• The order in which services appear on any page
• Whether we recommend a service at all

We feature services we believe are genuinely useful for people in debt crisis. If a service pays higher commissions but provides a worse experience, we do not recommend it. If a service is excellent but offers no affiliate program, we still mention it where relevant.

Our Relationship to Debt Collectors and Creditors

We have no financial relationship with any debt collection agency, creditor, or debt buyer. We do not receive payment from collectors. We do not share your information with collectors. The services we recommend are consumer advocacy services — they work for you, not for the people trying to collect from you.

How Often We Re-Evaluate

We review our recommendations quarterly. If a service's complaint history changes significantly, if they face regulatory action, or if their fee structure changes in a way that affects consumers, we update or remove our recommendation accordingly.

Reporting a Problem

If you have a negative experience with any service we recommended, we want to hear about it. Your feedback directly influences whether we continue to recommend that service. Contact us with the details of your experience and we will investigate.