How the Site Works: Ascend's mission is to take the pain out of personal finance for everyone. Not everyone who comes to our site is currently best fit for the Ascend product, so we spend a great deal of time and effort finding partners that we hope will be beneficial to you.
How We Make Money: Our partners sometimes compensate us in the way of advertising. Some partners we recommend pay us referral fees for sending them new customers. If you click through an application link on our site and end up receiving the service, we may receive compensation when your application is approved, and you move forward with this product. Each partner is vetted based on the following criteria:
We prioritize lower interest rate providers.
We prioritize those who do not penalize checking your rate or have prepayment penalties.
We prioritize those that are customer experience focused. We measure this by the reviews on more unbiased review sites.
American Relief Organization Reviews: 3 Things to Know
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or financial advice.
Have you received a mailer or seen an online ad featuring Mario Lopez promoting American Relief Organization and wondered what their reviews say? And how exactly does Americor fit into this? In this article, we'll break down the promotional video featuring Mario Lopez, and take a look at the reviews for American Relief Organization and Americor.
https://www.americanrelief.org/
Let's Check Out The Video
So first things first - American Relief Organization is being promoted by Mario Lopez. But before you put too much weight into that, keep in mind: this may be a paid endorsement. That means there's a good chance he hasn’t actually used the service himself.
And let’s be real, when we see a familiar face or celebrity we like, it’s easy to trust them without digging deeper. But in cases like this, it’s always smart to do your own research before jumping in. But let's see what he has to say!
Throughout the video, he teases a two-word secret that could help "eliminate high interest charges and fees, saved hundreds on debt payments each month, and only pay a fraction of the debt they owed." But what could this two-word secret be?
The two word secret? Debt Negotiation. But what is Debt Negotiation, exactly? In the video, Mario acknowledges that Debt Negotiation is also known by other names, such as Debt Resolution and Debt Restructuring.
But often, these names are synonymous with something else: Debt Settlement Programs. But let's keep watching to see how they define Debt Negotiation.
To help break it down, Mario introduces Lynnette Khalfani-Cox; a financial expert who has been featured on Oprah, Dr. Phil, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.
She also owns a company with her husband called The Money Coach, and is a New York Times Best-Selling author. And according to Mario, she paid off over $100,000 in debt in 3 years.
She goes on to define Debt Negotiation as a form of debt relief with a proven process that is government regulated.
The main goals of the Debt Negotiation program are to reduce the total amount of debts owed, along with reducing the monthly payments, and for those enrolled to be debt free in 24-48 months.
They even go on to say that debts can be reduced anywhere from 30-75%.
So what are the qualifications for this Debt Negotiation program with American Relief Organization?
To start, you'd need at least $10,000 in debt, a reliable income source, and be experiencing financial hardship.
So we alluded to this earlier, but are Debt Negotiation and Debt Settlement actually the same thing?
How Does Americor Define Debt Negotiation?
On Americor's site under the Debt Relief menu, you can find further information regarding other debt relief options, including Debt Settlement. While American Relief Organization is specifically promoting Debt Negotiation, if we check the definition on Americor's website, our suspicions are confirmed: Debt Negotiation and Debt Settlement are exactly the same thing.
https://americor.com/debt-relief-solutions/
What is Debt Settlement?
Check out this video where we break down Debt Consolidation Loans vs. Debt Settlement Programs!
Next, let's take a look at any reviews for American Relief Organization and Americor.
American Relief Organization Reviews
First, I checked to see if American Relief Organization had any reviews, but nothing came up in my Google search.
If we head back over to the American Relief Organization website, we see a few positive reviews for their parent company, Americor. But do these really provide an accurate picture of what it's like to work with them?
https://www.americanrelief.org/reviews/
Americor Reviews
Let's check out reviews on Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot for more details.
On Better Business Bureau, Americor has a 4.73 rating based on almost 5.5k reviews.
If we take a look at their positive reviews, they're really excellent, and overall their clients that have been enrolled with them seem to have a good experience.
However, it we take a look at a negative review, they mention a bait and switch tactic being used, which is unfortunately very common among Debt Settlement companies.
This is in reference to receiving an offer for a low-interest rate loan, only to be counter-offered with a Debt Settlement program, which can lead clients to feel misled.
Let's see what their clients have to say on Trustpilot.
Trustpilot Reviews
On Trustpilot, Americor has a 4.7 rating based on almost 16k reviews.
In a recent positive review, the client mentioned being happy with their progress so far and that an agreement had already been made with one of their creditors. This is truly great to hear, but just keep in mind that this isn't always the norm and can vary drastically from creditor to creditor.
However, if we jump to the negative reviews, a few reviewers call out Americor for making big promises that didn’t hold up. One person felt completely misled. They were promised a payment plan that would wipe out their debt, but after over a year, the payments just kept coming - and half of their money wasn’t even going to creditors.
Overall they felt they’d have been better off dealing with the debt themselves. Just because someone allegeges as scam does not mean that the company is a scam as Americor appears to have helped many people elimtinate debt from the many positive reviews.
Another reviewer said they were told to stop making payments to their creditors, which tanked their credit. After two years in the program, they were still buried in missed payments and now owe more in fees and settlements than when they started.
The bottom line? There are some clients that feel they were left worse off than when they started, and wish they had looked into other options first.
If you're thinking about working with a Debt Settlement company in general, it’s probably worth digging a little deeper before signing anything.
Are There Other Debt Relief Options?
Yes! And before signing up with any debt relief program, it's important to compare your options. Everyone's financial situation is different, and Debt Settlement programs aren't a one-size-fits-all. We'd highly recommend weighing the pros and cons before deciding if Debt Settlement is the best path forward for you.
If you're interested in further comparing all debt relief options available to you, including bankruptcy, feel free to check out this calculator below to see all potential options, cost estimates, and pros & cons:
Closing Thoughts
While the reviews for Americor are mixed, it's important to consider both the positive and negative reviews before deciding to work with any company. It can be tempting to trust a celebrity endorsement, but it's better to listen to others that have been through this situation themselves and have first-hand experience.
At Ascend, we always encourage people to look into their options early - because the sooner you start, the more control and clarity you’ll have. Regardless if you're thinking about debt settlement, bankruptcy, or a consolidation loan - knowing what’s available to you is key to making a confident choice and moving forward. You deserve to work with a team that genuinely has your back. And while debt can feel like a lot to carry, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Want to take the first step toward becoming debt-free? Give us a call at 833.272.3631 - we’re here to help!
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