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Guardian Debt Relief Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.8 / 5 (Excellent)
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Guardian Debt Relief is a debt negotiation company with headquarters in New York City’s Financial District.

The company is IAPDA and AFCC certified and rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. It is staffed with a team of debt specialists that work with clients through a one-on-one approach to guide them through every step of the program.

The Guardian Debt Relief program requires no upfront fees and offers a free debt analysis to get started.

How is Guardian Debt Relief rated?

Breakdown

4.8/5
Reputation
4.8/5
Qualification
4.7/5
Pricing & Fees
4.8/5
Services

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5 (Excellent)

Guardian Debt Relief is a solid choice for those looking to pursue the route of debt settlement, as opposed to debt consolidation and credit counseling.

The company features higher than average savings for the industry, and a lower debt amount than most making them a flexible choice for different levels of debt.

Guardian also is a good choice to look into for those who have varying kinds of unsecured debt as opposed to just the usual credit cards and items in collection.

The company is also forthcoming about the risks of debt settlement. When you decide to employ the services, Guardian negotiates with creditors so you pay less than you owe. For several reasons, this always has a considerably negative impact on your credit score. Once debts are settled, they will appear on your credit report as "paid settled."

While this is better than an "unpaid" status, it is still bad for your credit. However, it does not carry the long term effects of bankruptcy settlement. That is why we recommend debt settlement to those whose credit is already low, or those who don't mind a short term drop in their credit in order to save money and pay their debt off fast.

Guardian Debt Relief Services

Services - 4.8 / 5

Guardian Debt Relief offers only debt settlement services that are designed to function over 24-48 months.

Guardian's debt negotiators typically settle accounts for up to 40%-60% of the original amount. This is higher than average when compared to similar debt settlement services.

As with all debt settlement services, once you enroll Guardian will require you to stop paying creditors and start paying monthly payments to a secure trust.

The company will then inform your creditors you have been taken on as a client, hence stopping harassing phone calls. Once sufficient funds have accumulated in the trust, Guardian will pay off creditors in a lump sum or in monthly payments and only collect fees when an account has been settled.
Services Offered
Debt Settlement
Estimated Debt Reduction
40-60%
Program Length
24-48 months
Additional Benefits
Personal Advisor

Qualification

Qualification - 4.8 / 5

In addition to the usual unsecured debt, Guardian can also service some unsecured items that many other debt settlement services do not, including student loans and utility bills.

Qualifying candidates must be over $5,000 in unsecured debt, as it is the industry baseline for negotiating with creditors.

Additionally, candidates must be able to continue making the monthly payments to the secured trust account. Lastly, you must be able to prove financial hardship to Guardian or they will not have the leverage to negotiate with creditors on your behalf.

This means providing proof you are unable to pay the current loan after purchasing monthly essentials like food, utilities, mortgage or rent.
Minimum Debt Amount
$5,000
Debt Solutions For
Personal Loans
Medical Bills
Unsecured Loans
Credit Cards
Collections & Repossessions
Student Debt
Excluded Debts: Debt secured by collateral such as mortgages, auto loans, etc.

Pricing: How much does Guardian Debt Relief cost?

Pricing & Fees - 4.7 / 5

In accordance with FTC policy, Guardian does not charge any up front fees and only collects when it has successfully settled a individual debt.

The company's fee for successfully eliminating such debt is 20%. In contrast to most debt settlement programs, Guardian does not wait until you are sufficiently delinquent to contract creditors.

The company notifies them immediately after your first payment clears in order to inform them you are taking concrete steps to resolve the situation.
Up-front Fees?
No

Reputation

Reputation - 4.8 / 5

Guardian is a BBB-accredited business with an A+ grade and a strong 8.3 Trustpilot score with 95% positive reviews.

In addition to AFCC membership and IAPDA accreditation, Guardian is also SURE compliant, which is an agency that ensures compliance with federal and state regulatory schemes.

Customers routinely site the speed with which the company can stop hounding from creditors.

Company Details

Year Founded
2012

Compliance & Accreditations

AFCC Membership
Member
IAPDA Accredited
Yes

Online Reviews

Trust Pilot Rating
8.3 out of 5
BBB Rating
A+
Number of BBB Positive Reviews
1
Number of BBB Negative Reviews
3
Date Collected
2018-01-05

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Headquarters Address
65 Broadway, Suite 1702, New York, NY, 10006


#1
Our Partner

Our #1 Choice: Free consultation, 100% Confidential

  • Fast and easy application process
  • No upfront fees
  • One-on-one evaluation with a debt coach
  • Become debt-free in 24 to 48 months
  • For people with $7,500 in unsecured debts and up
  • Rated A+ by Better Business Bureau
  • AFCC Accredited