Quick Facts
Full Review
Freedom Debt Relief is one of the oldest and largest debt settlement companies in the country. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, they've served more than one million customers over two decades. That kind of volume gives them something smaller companies simply can't match: experience negotiating with virtually every major creditor.
They're also a founding member of the AADR, which means they literally helped write the industry's standards. On Trustpilot, 90% of reviewers give them four or five stars, and the company won USA Today's 2025 Best Customer Service award.
How Their Program Works
The process follows the standard settlement model. You get a free debt evaluation, enroll your unsecured debts, and start making monthly deposits into a dedicated savings account. Freedom's negotiators then work to settle each debt for less than you owe. Fees run 15% to 25% of enrolled debt, and there's a $9.95 monthly escrow fee.
On average, clients who complete the program see their enrolled debt reduced by 45% to 60% before fees. After fees, the real savings are closer to 20% to 30%, which is in line with industry averages. Freedom also offers a guarantee: if the total cost of settling your debts (including their fees) exceeds what you originally owed, they'll refund up to the full fees paid.
The CFPB Action You Should Know About
In 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Freedom Debt Relief to pay $20 million in restitution plus a $5 million civil penalty. The CFPB alleged the company charged fees before settling some debts and misled customers about its ability to negotiate with all creditors. The company settled and overhauled its practices. In 2024, the CFPB received 32 complaints about Freedom, with 27 closed with explanation and three resulting in monetary relief.
That enforcement action matters, but it was nearly a decade ago and the company has operated under updated compliance standards since. Still, it's the kind of thing you should factor into your decision.
Freedom Financial Network and Achieve
Freedom Debt Relief is part of the broader Freedom Financial Network, which rebranded to Achieve in 2022. If you see Achieve mentioned, it's the same parent company. Clients who come through Freedom specifically still use the Freedom Debt Relief program, while Achieve offers additional products like personal loans and home equity options.
Who Should Consider Freedom Debt Relief
Freedom is a strong pick for anyone with $7,500+ in unsecured debt who wants one of the most established companies in the industry. The two-decade track record, million-plus customers, and AADR founding membership are real credibility signals. Just go in with eyes open about the CFPB history and understand the full fee structure upfront.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 22+ year track record with over one million customers served
- Founding member of AADR, helped set industry standards
- Fee guarantee if total costs exceed original debt
- USA Today's 2025 Best Customer Service award
- 4.6-star Trustpilot rating with 90% giving 4-5 stars
Cons
- $9.95/month escrow fee on top of settlement fees
- 2017 CFPB enforcement action ($25 million total)
- Program timelines can extend past initial quotes
- BBB rating could not be independently verified
Where to Read More
Read reviews on: Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, Bankrate
What CFPB complaint data says about Freedom Debt Relief
We pulled the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's public Consumer Complaint Database on May 20, 2026. Since January 2024, consumers have filed 535 complaints against Freedom Debt Relief that the CFPB sent to the company for response.
Top reported issues
- Incorrect information on your report (20%)
- Didn't provide services promised (13%)
- Improper use of your report (8%)
- Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem (8%)
- Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (7%)
How the company responded
- Closed with explanation: 87%
- Closed with monetary relief: 8%
- Closed with non-monetary relief: 0%
- Closed without relief: 0%
- Responded on time to 99.4% of complaints
What consumers told the CFPB (in their own words)
"Receiving daily calls from " Freedom Debt '' since XX/XX/year> ( at least ), I have asked them on every call I have answered to remove me from their call list as I am not interested in their services & they hang up on me."
Anonymized complaint filed December 3, 2025, OH (CFPB Complaint ID 18080337)
"I am submitting this complaint against Freedom Debt Relief for making material misrepresentations regarding the services they would provide, charging fees prior to achieving settlements, and failing to perform as promised."
Anonymized complaint filed March 17, 2026, IN (CFPB Complaint ID 20335191)
Nicholas D.'s take on this data
These 535 complaints are filed under Freedom Financial Network, the parent that operates both Freedom Debt Relief and an affiliated lending arm, so the mix spans debt settlement, credit reporting, and personal loans rather than settlement alone. Narrowing to the settlement-relevant complaints, the pattern is the one we warn about on every settlement page: "didn't provide services promised" (68) and "charged upfront or unexpected fees" (32), and the narratives describe fees collected before settlements were reached and creditors suing while the program ran. Response discipline is strong on paper at 99.4 percent timely, with 41 complaints closed with monetary relief. Freedom is a large, legitimate operator, not a scam, but the complaint texts reinforce the structural reality of settlement: you stop paying, your credit falls, and some creditors sue before deals are struck. We send people here only after a DMP and a consolidation loan have both been ruled out.
Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. Data pulled May 20, 2026 by the Reduce Your Balances editorial team and reviewed by Nicholas D., Debt Professional.