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CreditAssociates

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Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: June 7th, 2022

CreditAssociates is a debt relief company that specializes in settling credit card debt. According to the company’s website, it has helped thousands of customers settle millions of dollars worth of debt. The company says the length of its debt settlement program depends on each client's financial situation, but that it can help most customers become debt-free in 24 to 36 months.

CreditAssociates offers only debt settlement, not other debt relief services such as debt consolidation or debt management plans. CreditAssociates customers set up a special savings account, where the customer makes monthly deposits. Eventually, once the account has enough money, the debt settlement company negotiates with each creditor to lower the client's debt amount.

Because CreditAssociates only offers debt settlement, it can only help with unsecured debts such as credit card debt and personal loans; the debt settlement company can’t help with secured debt like a mortgage, auto loan, or home equity loan.

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The Good

  • Free Consultations
  • Online Account Access
  • Accreditations
  • Performance-Based Fees

Free Consultations

CreditAssociates offers free consultations to help potential clients decide whether its debt settlement services are right for them. This is essential among reputable debt settlement companies and in fact, you should never work with a debt relief company that does not offer a free consultation with no strings attached.

Online Account Access

CreditAssociates customers can access their accounts online, giving them 24/7 access to information and resources. This is a nice feature in a debt relief company, because you will want to be kept up to date on the progress of your debt settlement case and what creditors still need to be dealt with.

Accreditations

CreditAssociates boasts accreditations from the American Fair Credit Council and the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators, two important organizations in the debt relief industry.

It also has a majority of 5-star reviews. One recent CreditAssociates review states that the company is "wonderful...to do business with", has "great customer service," and helped the client get back on their feet and establish their credit once again.

Performance-Based Fees

CreditAssociates doesn't charge clients any upfront fees. The company only charges a performance-based fee after it has negotiated, and the client has accepted, a settlement offer with one of the customer's creditors.

The company states throughout its website that this is a fixed fee rather than a percentage of the client's enrolled debt, but does not disclose the actual dollar amount of the fee.

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The Bad

  • State Availability
  • Limited Pricing Information
  • Must Demonstrate Financial Hardship

State Availability

CreditAssociates does not provide nationwide services. In the debt settlement industry, it is not uncommon to find companies that will service all 50 states. CreditAssociates mentions on its website that the following states are not serviced: Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Maryland, Vermont, and Wyoming. However, it also mentions there are other states it does not service, and we don't know what these are.

Limited Pricing Information

According to the CreditAssociates website, the company doesn’t charge any upfront fees; it only charges a flat performance-based fee after the customer accepts and funds a settlement offer. However, CreditAssociates doesn’t detail how much that fee is.

CreditAssociates also does not disclose a minimum debt requirement. Some of its top competitors like National Debt Relief or Freedom Debt Relief have minimum debt requirements of $7,500. We do not know if CreditAssociates has this same requirement, a higher requirement, or no requirement at all.

Must Demonstrate Financial Hardship

CreditAssociates customers must demonstrate financial hardship in order to use the company’s services. The company doesn’t provide details about this process on its website, except to say that customers must substantiate and prove their financial hardship.

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The Bottom Line

CreditAssociates provides debt relief to customers struggling with unsecured debt. The debt settlement company helps clients through debt negotiation over an average period of 24 to 36 months, only charging customers a flat performance-based fee after their debt has been settled. 

The company has several important accreditations, including from the American Fair Credit Council and the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators. Additionally, the company offers 24/7 access to its online system, where customers can access helpful resources. 

Although it doesn't offer details about its pricing on its website, potential customers can learn more through CreditAssociates' free consultations. If you're looking for a debt settlement program and you live in one of the states where CreditAssociates is available, the company is worth looking into.

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4.4

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328 Reviews

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5 grade

66%

4 grade

19%

3 grade

9%

2 grade

4%

1 grade

2%

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Emily Lacy

The entire process has been one lie after another. They completely leave out the fact that cancellation of debt is taxable income, minimize the effect the program will have on your credit, and tell you that they will never need more money than the monthly payment you've agreed to, or more than the total of all payments you've agreed to, and they have asked me for both an increase in my monthly payment (multiple times), and have stated that the amount they quoted to settle all my debts would not be sufficient after the fact. This program has absolutely destroyed my credit, has saved me almost nothing between taxes and fees, and is downright dishonest. I strongly urge anyone considering this program to run the other way.

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Emily - Thanks for the feedback, please reach out to us whenever you like we would like to learn how we can improve future client experiences

Feb. 4th, 2021

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Mike Palermo Clermont, FL

I was talked into a plan to eliminate my debt, I do not feel they have been working to perform the way that they had promised. They have only eliminated small amounts of debt from my account. Now they are calling and asking me to up my monthly payments because they have reached a settlement with one of my creditors. Now I feel like I am being scammed. I am not seeing results and I will be filing a complaint.

4 years ago

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Desery Cain

I am wary of Credit Associates. I joined the program a year ago and not sure if the program is a scam. There are no updates(statement summary) and I'm not sure my accounts are being settled.

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Desery - We want our clients to stay informed and engaged throughout the program so If you have additional questions you are welcome to reach out to us whenever you like. You also have access to your client portal where we provide real-time updates to your program. Our success depends on your success so if ever you need anything, we are here for you

Feb. 4th, 2021

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Russell Carey

My credit rating wasn't exactly great(600+] but by the time your company started dealing with my creditors my score dropped to just above 500. Thanks

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Russell - Thank you for the feedback

Feb. 4th, 2021

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Alesia Wittig

After making a settlement with the 1st creditor, ADDITIONAL Monthly money was asked to settle other creditors and YOUR FEES ARE TOO HIGHT

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Alesia - Thank you for the feedback

Feb. 4th, 2021

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Christopher

Terrible. They appeal to people in difficult financial situations and take advantage of them.

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Christopher....thanks for reaching out. I'd love to talk about what specifically you are unhappy with about our program. Feel free to message me here and we can connect.

Nov. 19th, 2020

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Garry Peruzzi

Terrible I was sued by one creditor that was never contacted.

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Garry - Thank you for the feedback please reach out to us whenever you like to discuss in further detail.

Feb. 4th, 2021

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Phyllis Fulton

I wish I had not started it.mycredit score took ahit

4 years ago

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Reply from CreditAssociates

Hi Phyllis - Thank you for the feedback

Feb. 4th, 2021