National DR | 2024 Review

National DR is one of the largest and most reputable debt consolidation companies in the country. Founded in 2009, it has helped more than 500,000 people become debt free by resolving over $5 billion in unsecured debts.

Its holistic approach, including financial counseling, guidance from experts, and customizable plans make National DR one of our top choices.

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Highlights

• Free consultation with no obligation
• Become debt free in as little as 24- to 48-months
• A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Established relationships with over 10,000 creditors
• Over 75,000 5-star ratings

What is National DR?

National DR is a debt settlement company that helps people reduce their debt or pay it off completely. It has backing from some of the best organizations in the debt consolidation field, including accreditations from the Better Business Bureau, the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators, and the American Fair Credit Council. Additionally, it has over 75,000 5-star consumer reviews across multiple platforms.

How Does National DR Work?

National DR helps people become debt free primarily through its debt settlement program. Generally speaking, debt settlement works by having an expert negotiate your existing debt into a lower amount with your creditors. In exchange for you paying a one-time lump sum, the creditor agrees to forgive the rest of the debt.

An important note: like all debt consolidation companies, National DR only works with unsecured debts, i.e. those not backed by collateral. Some of the most common unsecured debts include credit cards, business debt, and medical debt. Secured debts like a mortgage or car–where your possession acts as collateral in case you don’t pay back the loan–aren’t good candidates for debt settlement strategies.

National DR’s Debt Settlement Program

Debt settlement can be a smart way to reduce your total debt by having an expert negotiate it down with a creditor. In exchange for a one-time lump sum payment, the creditor agrees to forgive the rest of the debt.

National DR’s debt settlement program is one of the best in the country. Let’s take a closer look at the process to see exactly how you would work with its debt coaches to start paying off creditors.

1. Free Consultation

To start, you’ll sign up for a free no-obligation consultation. Together with one of National DR’s debt coaches, you’ll assess your current finances to determine whether your situation is a good fit for the debt consolidation program. If debt consolidation isn’t the best solution for you, they have a few other options that they’ll recommend to you.

2. Plan Match

Next, National DR will help you establish an affordable plan to move forward with settling your debt. National DR prides itself on helping its clients achieve financial independence, and will work with you every step of the way.

3. Enroll in the Program

To officially start with National DR, you will sign a contract. If you have any questions about the program or your contract – like what effects it might have on your credit score or whether there could be tax obligations later on – this is the time to make sure you and your representative are on the same page.

4. Establish a Dedicated Savings Account

Once you’re enrolled, National DR will ask you to open a dedicated savings account for the program under your name (it stays under your control the entire time!) and set up a deposit schedule. You’ll deposit your monthly payment into it to build up funds that will then be used to:

5. Negotiate Debts

Once your dedicated savings account has enough funds, National DR will start contacting your creditors to negotiate on your behalf. This negotiation works because early in the enrollment process, you’ll be asked to stop making payments on your enrolled debts. This will create leverage for National DR to use in negotiations, as they can explain that given your current financial hardship, you are unable to make payments but you would be able to settle for a lesser amount.

6. Reach a Settlement

If a creditor agrees to settle a debt (and it may take more than one try to reach a settlement), National DR will contact you to approve the offer. If you agree, you’ll authorize them to use the funds in your dedicated savings account to pay the creditor the reduced amount.

If you’ve agreed to a new payment plan instead of a lump sum payment, you’ll need to follow it to the letter! Your promise to be able to make payments on the new plan is part of the negotiation strategy; a creditor or collection agency will be less forgiving about a missed payment or deadline this time around.

7. For Multiple Debts, Repeat the Process

If your enrolled debts are with multiple creditors, you’ll continue the process – you saving, your representatives negotiating–until you’ve reached a settlement with each of them or choose to end the program for any reason. Clients who complete the program typically do so quickly–within 24 to 48 months of enrollment. This is much less than the amount of time and money it would take to pay off your debts by making minimum payments.

National DR | Debt Settlement at a Glance

_{*Fees vary by state and the amount of enrolled debt.}

_{**Clients who are able to complete the program and get all of their enrolled debt settled realize approximate savings of 45% before fees, or 24% including National DR’s fees, over 24-48 months.}

National DR’s Debt Consolidation Services

Debt consolidation combines multiple debts, like credit card or medical bills, and turns them into a new loan with a single monthly payment. This works best if the new loan has a lower interest rate than your current debt obligations.

The funds from the new loan will be used to pay off your other debts. You’ll then be responsible for paying off the combined debt through one single monthly payment. While you won’t reduce the amount you owe, you will save money in the long run by achieving a lower interest rate.

Although National DR’s primary focus is helping people settle their debts once and for all, its debt experts can help you decide whether debt consolidation is a good approach for your financial situation. If so, they’ll connect you to a sister company, Reach Financial, to assist with consolidating any qualified loans through a personal loan.

How Much Does National DR Cost?

Like all debt settlement companies, National DR cannot legally charge you for services until they have successfully settled the debt. In addition to no sign-up or cancellation fees, you are in control of deciding if you want to continue with the program or if you choose to leave–at any time.

National DR charges a fee equal to between 15% and 25% of the total enrolled debt. While this may sound like a lot, clients who successfully complete the program can reduce their debt up to 50%–meaning that even if the fees are on the higher side, they will still pay less than their original debt amount.

For example, let’s say that Henry enrolls with National DR with a total of $15,000 in unsecured debt. His representatives are able to negotiate his total debt down to $8,000. If Henry pays $3,750 in fees (25% of $15,000), he’ll still be saving at least $3,250. Plus, by settling his debt with a lump sum, Henry is no longer responsible for paying interest on the original $15,000.

How to Qualify for National DR?

National DR prides itself on helping its clients find the right debt management strategy for their financial situation. They understand what it takes to be successful when negotiating with creditors to settle debts, and they want to work with clients who are likely to succeed. In other words, National DR doesn’t want to waste anyone’s time if they aren’t a good fit.

With that in mind, National DR looks for clients who:

• Have unsecured debts. These are debts like credit cards, medical bills, business debts, and personal loans. They’re unsecured, meaning they aren’t tied to an asset (car loans and house mortgages are “secured” debts), which could be repossessed if the client stops payments on that debt.
  
• Have at least $10,000 in debt and be several months behind in making payments. If the amount of debt you have is less than $10,000, or if you’re staying current on payments, your creditors won’t have any incentive to negotiate. From their perspective, you’re handling your debt just fine without settling.
  
• Are going through a current, long-term financial crisis. This could be for any number of reasons that have significantly changed your financial situation, like unexpected medical bills or recently losing your job. It enables National DR’s representatives to more easily negotiate with your creditors. If they can show that you really aren’t in a position to meet your monthly payments or the full debt amount, they’re more likely to agree to settling your debt for less.

National DR can help with many kinds of debts and loans (more than we’ve mentioned here). If you have a type of debt we haven’t mentioned, we recommend checking out the website for full details or scheduling a free consultation to speak with one of its debt coaches.

The Bottom Line

With its excellent reputation and commitment to customer success, National DR is a great choice for people who are currently experiencing financial hardship with high levels of unsecured debt. If you’re struggling to keep up with minimum payments and need help finding the path to becoming debt free, schedule a free consultation with National DR today.

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Still want to shop around? Explore more debt consolidation options here with competitive rates and with high reviews.