National Debt Relief vs Freedom Debt Relief: Fees, Eligibility and Track Records Side by Side

By LoansGenerator.comLast updated October 1, 2026

Partner disclosure. Loans Generator has a direct business relationship with National Debt Relief and is paid when a reader we refer enrolls in its program. Loans Generator may also be paid when its loan matching service refers you to other debt relief companies, which can include Freedom Debt Relief. This does not change the facts reported here: both companies are described from their own pages and the same regulator searches, including where Freedom's published terms are clearer than NDR's. National Debt Relief did not review, approve or commission this page.

National Debt Relief and Freedom Debt Relief are two of the biggest names in debt settlement: the CFPB called Freedom the largest provider in 2017, and NDR describes itself as one of the largest. Their programs work the same way: you save into a dedicated account, usually stop paying enrolled debts, and the company negotiates settlements one at a time, charging a percentage of enrolled debt after each one. The differences are in the published details: how much debt you need, what the account costs, which states are served, and each company's complaint and enforcement history. This page lines them up from each company's own pages and the regulators' records, checked October 28, 2026.

Key takeaways

Both state fees of 15% to 25% of enrolled debt. An older Freedom guide gives a 22% average; NDR's homepage says "up to 25%."

Freedom's minimum is $7,500. NDR's pages say $10,000 on one page and $7,500 on another.

Freedom publishes its dedicated account fees ($9.95 setup, $9.95 a month). NDR does not publish its provider's fees.

The CFPB sued Freedom in 2017 over advance fees and other practices; the case settled in 2019 with $20 million in restitution and a $5 million penalty. We found no CFPB or FTC action against NDR; the Minnesota Attorney General included NDR in 2023 investigations into 52 student-loan debt-relief companies, and an industry advertising review in 2025 asked NDR to change some savings and timeline claims.

Neither is right for someone who can still afford a debt management plan.

The two programs compared

	National Debt Relief	Freedom Debt Relief
Founded	2009	2002
Scale claimed	"More than 1.5 million people have enrolled"; "over $20 billion in debt settled"	"over 1 million clients"; "over $20 billion in debt" resolved
Fee	"up to 25% of your enrolled debt" (homepage); "15%-25%" (qualifications)	"between 15% to 25% of enrolled debt"; "the average fee is 22%" (older guide)
When the fee is charged	After you approve a settlement and at least one payment is made	"after a settlement is authorized by the client and the first payment is made"
Minimum debt	$10,000 (qualifications page) or $7,500 (blog)	$7,500
Dedicated account provider	"usually held through Global Holdings"; you may choose another	Crossroads Financial Technologies
Account fees	Not published	$9.95 one-time setup and $9.95 a month
Program length claimed	"24-48 months," not guaranteed	24 to 48 months, per its contact page
States	"Not available in all states"; its blog says it is unable to help consumers in Connecticut, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin	Not available in all states, "including New Jersey"; law firms handle some states
BBB	A+, accredited; 544 complaints in 3 years	A+, accredited; 245 complaints in 3 years
ACDR member list	Listed	Listed under its parent brand, Achieve; Freedom says it is a founding member

Sources: each company's own pages; BBB.org; acdr.org. All accessed October 28, 2026.

Fees

Both companies charge a percentage of the debt you enroll, which is the proportional method the federal rule permits, and both say no fee is charged before a debt is settled and paid on. On $25,000 enrolled, a 15% to 25% fee is $3,750 to $6,250 at either company.

Freedom adds two specifics NDR does not. An older Freedom guide puts its average fee at 22% (which would be $5,500 on $25,000), and Freedom states that the fee "is disclosed in full upfront and will never increase." NDR's averages have to be inferred from its savings footnote; its How It Works footer ("45% before fees, or 20% including our fees") implies an average fee near 25 points of enrolled debt, while its disclaimer page shows that footnote and a second one ("46% before fees, or 25% including our fees") that implies about 21. Both footnotes are NDR's figures for clients who finished the program, and the National Advertising Division found that an earlier version of that savings claim did not represent the typical customer (see below). The arithmetic is in National Debt Relief fees.

Account fees are where Freedom is clearer. Its provider's published $9.95 setup and $9.95 monthly fee come to $9.95 + (48 × $9.95) = $487.55 over 48 months. NDR does not state its provider's fees, so you cannot compare this line until you ask.

Eligibility and states

Freedom's minimum is a single figure, $7,500. NDR's qualifications page says "$10k or more in unsecured debt," while an NDR blog article says "at least $7,500." If you owe between $7,500 and $10,000, ask NDR directly.

On states, Freedom's disclaimers page says its service "is not available in all states, including New Jersey." Its Participating Law Firms page adds that in some states, law firms (Turnbull Law Group in eight states, Turnbull Law Group SC in South Carolina, Turnbull Law Group NJ in New Jersey, and Arrow Ridge Law in eleven states) negotiate debts "with the non-legal administrative support of Freedom Debt Relief, LLC." If you live in one of those states, your contract may be with a law firm rather than Freedom. NDR says it is "Not available in all states." NDR's blog says it is unable to help consumers in Connecticut, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Confirm your state on the first call.

Complaints and enforcement

Figure: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, companies "NATIONAL DEBT RELIEF LLC" and "FREEDOM FINANCIAL NETWORK" (the CFPB's 2017 lawsuit announcement describes Freedom Debt Relief as "part of Freedom Financial Network"), sub-product "Debt settlement," received since October 1, 2023; BBB.org complaint pages. All queried October 28, 2026. Bars are to scale within the 544 maximum.

Counting only debt settlement complaints received since October 1, 2023, the CFPB database shows 312 for National Debt Relief LLC and 231 for Freedom Financial Network. The company responses differ more than the counts: in that set, Freedom closed 47 complaints with monetary relief and answered 1 late (14 were still in progress), while NDR closed none with monetary relief and answered 33 late. Complaints about Freedom's participating law firms are filed under the firms' own names; Turnbull Law Group, for example, has 31 debt settlement complaints received since October 1, 2023. On BBB.org, NDR also has more complaints over three years, 544 against 245. None of these counts is adjusted for client volume, and a complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding.

Enforcement. The CFPB sued Freedom Debt Relief, LLC and Andrew Housser, filing on November 8, 2017. The CFPB alleged that Freedom violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule "by charging advance fees and failing to inform consumers of their rights to funds they deposited," and violated federal consumer financial law by "charging consumers without settling their debts as promised, charging consumers after having them negotiate their own settlements with creditors, and misleading consumers about the company's fees." In settling in July 2019, Freedom "agreed to pay $20 million in restitution to affected consumers and a $5 million civil money penalty." The settlement resolved allegations; it is not a current finding about how Freedom operates today.

For NDR, a search of the CFPB's enforcement actions for "National Debt Relief" and of FTC.gov for "National Debt Relief LLC" found no action on October 28, 2026. In September 2023 the Minnesota Attorney General announced investigations into 52 student-loan debt-relief companies "suspected of violating Minnesota law," and National Debt Relief LLC was on the list. The office's letter to NDR, dated August 29, 2023, asked for information about its student-loan services. We found no later published outcome naming NDR. Details are in is National Debt Relief legit.

Advertising review. In October 2025, BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division (NAD), an industry self-regulatory body and not a government agency, reviewed NDR's website and commercials. It found that NDR's "24-48 months" claims suggested all of a client's debt, not only enrolled unsecured debt, would be gone in that time, that the limits appeared only in footers, and that NDR's then-current claim of 30% savings including fees did not reflect the typical customer. NAD recommended changes, and NDR said it would comply with NAD's reasonable recommendations. NDR's footers now give 20% or 25% including fees, depending on the page.

Which one fits which situation

NDR may suit you better if: you owe $10,000 or more (or NDR confirms in writing that its $7,500 figure applies to you) and its written fee and account-fee quote comes in lower than Freedom's.

Freedom may suit you better if: you owe between $7,500 and $10,000 and NDR will not take you, or you want the account fees in writing before the first call. Freedom also includes access to its Legal Partner Network, attorneys who may negotiate if an enrolled creditor sues you, for clients who make all deposits on time. Check that Freedom serves your state, and whether a participating law firm would hold your contract.

Neither fits if: you can still afford a reduced monthly payment. A nonprofit debt management plan repays your debt without the missed payments, lawsuit risk and possible tax that come with settlement at either company. Neither fits secured debts, federal student loans or a small balance you could settle with each issuer yourself; see negotiating a settlement yourself.

If you sign up by phone, the same federal protections apply at either company: no fee before a settlement and a payment under it, and the right to cancel at any time and get your account balance back, minus earned fees, within seven business days (16 CFR 310.4(a)(5)). The full rule is in debt settlement fees: what the FTC rule allows, and the step-by-step is in debt settlement month by month.

Loans Generator is paid by National Debt Relief, a debt settlement company, when a reader we refer enrolls in its program. This does not change what we report.

See debt relief program optionsOpens National Debt Relief's site.

Credit and tax effects at either company

Settlement through either company typically means months of missed payments, which the federal rule requires both to disclose "will likely adversely affect the customer's creditworthiness." Those marks can stay on a credit report for up to seven years. Forgiven balances are generally taxable income unless you were insolvent; see the Form 1099-C guide.

More on NDR: the National Debt Relief review, how National Debt Relief works, and National Debt Relief vs Accredited Debt Relief. All options are compared on the debt relief hub.

Common questions

Is National Debt Relief or Freedom Debt Relief cheaper?

Their published fee ranges are the same, 15% to 25% of enrolled debt. Freedom publishes its account fees and, in an older guide, a 22% average fee. NDR publishes neither; its How It Works page says only that the average client pays "up to 25%" of enrolled debt. Compare written quotes.

Which has the lower minimum debt?

Freedom's is $7,500. NDR's pages say $10,000 in one place and $7,500 in another.

Has Freedom Debt Relief been in trouble with regulators?

The CFPB sued Freedom in 2017, alleging advance fees and other violations; Freedom agreed to $20 million in restitution and a $5 million civil penalty to settle in 2019.

Has National Debt Relief been in trouble with regulators?

We found no CFPB or FTC enforcement action against NDR. The Minnesota Attorney General included NDR in 2023 investigations into 52 student-loan debt-relief companies, with no published outcome we could find, and in 2025 an industry advertising review asked NDR to change some savings and timeline claims; NDR said it would comply.

Does either company guarantee results?

No. Both say they do not guarantee a specific reduction or timeline, and the federal rule bars misrepresenting results. Freedom does advertise a money-back program guarantee; its refund depends on the debts you enrolled and settled and the fees you paid, so read the terms before relying on it.

Sources

National Debt Relief, homepage, "How It Works," "Debt Relief FAQs," qualifications page, "State Licenses and Disclosures," "Disclaimer" and "How Do You Qualify for Debt Relief?", accessed October 28, 2026.
Freedom Debt Relief, homepage, "FAQs," "Contact Us," "4 Questions to Ask Every Debt Relief Company," "Disclaimers" and "Participating Law Firms," accessed October 28, 2026.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "Freedom Debt Relief, LLC and Andrew Housser" enforcement action page, lawsuit announcement and settlement press release, accessed October 28, 2026.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database and "Enforcement actions," queried October 28, 2026.
Better Business Bureau, National Debt Relief and Freedom Debt Relief complaint pages, accessed October 28, 2026.
Association for Consumer Debt Relief, "Member List," accessed October 28, 2026.
Minnesota Attorney General, "Attorney General Ellison opens investigation into 52 student-loan debt-relief companies" and letter to National Debt Relief LLC dated August 29, 2023, accessed October 28, 2026.
BBB National Programs, National Advertising Division decision on National Debt Relief, LLC, October 28, 2025, accessed October 28, 2026.
16 CFR 310.4, Telemarketing Sales Rule, via eCFR, accessed October 28, 2026.

Source links:

Disclosure: Loans Generator has a direct business relationship with National Debt Relief and is paid when a reader we refer enrolls in its program. Company terms cited here were checked on October 28, 2026 and change without notice. Results of any debt relief program are not guaranteed; programs that rely on missed payments can damage your credit and lead to collection suits, and forgiven debt may be taxable. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.