Advertiser's Disclosure

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:

  1. We prioritize lower interest rate providers.
  2. We prioritize those who do not penalize checking your rate or have prepayment penalties.
  3. We prioritize those that are customer experience focused. We measure this by the reviews on more unbiased review sites.

Freedom Debt Relief Reviews in 2026: 2 Important Things to Know

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or financial advice.

We wrote an article a while ago about Freedom Debt Relief's reviews (here), and I recently saw an ad from Living Debt Free that pointed to Freedom Debt Relief, so I wanted to check out the most recent reviews for Freedom Debt Relief in 2025.

Have you seen this ad on social media recently with a man recommending a "debt relief program that isn't a scam" and were thinking about checking out the reviews? Let's take a look at what this ad is offering and where it leads together! 

The ad shows footage of this survey for 'Living Debt Free' and claims "the issue people are running into is they're using the wrong websites, and to make sure this is the website they're using." To me, this is honestly a funny reasoning to give, but let's keep going. 

According to the man in the ad, "this program allows anyone with over $20,000 to have their debt massively reduced." But what is the program he's talking about? Let's head over to the site to see.

What is Debt Free Solution Hub / Living Debt Free?

If we follow the link on the social media ad, it will take you to a website called 'Debt Free Solutions Hub', while at the top it says 'Living Debt Free', it's unclear which one is technically their business name.

Interestingly, after selecting your age from one of their ranges, you are immediately redirected to a new site for a company called 'Freedom Debt Relief' to choose your debt amount. So based on this, Debt Free Solutions Hub / Living Debt Free seems to be a front end site to forward you to Freedom Debt Relief. We'll dive into Freedom Debt Relief later in the article, but feel free to check out these past articles we've written about them:

If you continue filling out the survey, it will ask for the state you currently live in.

And your personal details like your name, phone, and email.

You'll then be asked to verify your address and birthday, BUT before proceeding it's important to read the fine print! 
In the highlighted text, you'll see that it says: "By clicking 'View my solution', you consent to having your credit report accessed as described below." And based on what's written, by submitting your information you are giving permission to Turnbull Law Group to obtain information from your personal credit report for debt settlement and fraud prevention purposes. In this case, Turnbull Law Group would be the debt settlement provider, while Freedom Debt Relief provides support services for them. But who is Turnbull Law Group? What is debt settlement? First, let's talk a little about Freedom Debt Relief.

Who is Freedom Debt Relief

Freedom Debt Relief claims to be "America’s top debt relief company", specializing in helping "everyday people lift their debt burden".
Source: https://www.freedomdebtrelief.com/

Source: https://www.freedomdebtrelief.com/about/

They first offer a free debt evaluation and based on that recommend the "Freedom Debt Relief program if the results indicate the program is appropriate for your situation." But what exactly is this program? How does it work? My hunch is debt settlement, but let's see what their reviews say. 
Source: https://www.freedomdebtrelief.com/why-were-better/

Freedom Debt Relief Reviews at a Glance

On their website, you can find a handful of positive testimonials from TrustPilot. Of course, it's no surprise that they didn't include any negative comments, if they have any. 
Source: https://www.freedomdebtrelief.com/testimonials/

Let's take a look at Freedom Debt Relief's positive and negative reviews on both Better Business Bureau, TrustPilot, and Reddit! Free free to check out this article we've written previously as well:

Better Business Bureau Reviews

On BBB they have a 4.47 out of 5-stars, based on over 1,800 reviews, with an A+ rating. 

The positive reviews start off strong, mentioning that there haven't been any surprises and the program is working out as they expected it to.

But the negative reviews mention feeling deceived due to unexpected fees, negatively impacted credit, and being upsold high interest loans. Overall, it sounds like the terms of the program were not clearly communicated to these clients. 

TrustPilot Reviews

On TrustPilot, they have a 4.6 out of 5-star rating based on over 46,000 reviews! 

On Trustpilot, some of the positive reviews mention feeling good about the progress they’ve made in the program and that they’ve been kept informed along the way about what’s happening with their accounts.

In taking a look at their negative reviews, these customers mention feeling like they didn't receive a thorough enough explanation of how the program actually works, or how much time it would end up taking. One reviewer also mentions feeling blindsided by frequent, unexpected fees, which made it difficult to save any money along the way.

Reddit

We also found a post on Reddit where someone was asking whether they should use Freedom Debt Relief to take care of their debt.

In taking a look at the comments, more than one person actually suggested non-profit credit counseling instead. We'll go over non-profit credit counseling later on in the article!

Who is Turnbull Law Group

Turnbull Law Group is a law firm that focuses on helping people get out of debt. They offer services like debt negotiation, defending you if a creditor takes you to court, and offering bankruptcy assistance if it comes to that. Their goal is to work with your creditors to try and settle your debts for less than what you owe. 

We've also written about them previously, feel free to check out this article below:
Source: https://www.turnbulllawgroup.com/

Turnbull Law Group Reviews at a Glance

Let's check out a few of Turnbull Law Group's reviews from BBB and TrustPilot. 

Better Business Bureau Reviews

On BBB, it's important to note they are NOT BBB accredited.
And they have a 4.48 rating out of 5-stars, based on 425 reviews.

In a few of their positive reviews, the customers are complimentary of the program and feel hopeful that they're on the right track to getting out of debt. 

Some of the negative reviews mention feeling let down by their attorneys, especially when it came to getting help with court documents or responding to summons.

TrustPilot Reviews

On TrustPilot, they have a 4.5 rating out of 5 stars based on over 950 reviews.

The positive reviews below share that Turnbull was able to help them get out of debt, and they felt good about the progress made overall. One reviewer does point out that your credit will likely take a hit - which is something to keep in mind - but they felt it was worth it because Turnbull settled their accounts quickly and efficiently.

In both of these reviews, the common thread is that they felt Turnbull Law Group seemed to drop the ball by giving people mixed messages, not following through on what they promised, and feeling misled and unsupported. On top of that, the financial consequences were pretty serious. If you’re already feeling overwhelmed by debt, the last thing you need is more stress from the very company that’s supposed to be helping you.


What is a Debt Settlement Program?

A debt settlement program is basically when a company steps in to help negotiate with your creditors to lower the total amount you owe. So instead of paying back $10,000, you might settle for $5,000. The goal is to make your debt more manageable and help you get some financial breathing room.

Here’s how it typically works: rather than continuing to pay your creditors directly, the debt settlement company will usually ask you to pause those payments and start setting money aside into a separate account they set up for you. You’ll then make monthly deposits into that account, and once there’s enough saved up, they’ll begin negotiating with your creditors on your behalf.

Now it's important to know that because you’ve stopped making payments, your accounts will go past due, which can hurt your credit. But the reason for that strategy is this: creditors are often more willing to negotiate if they think you might file for bankruptcy. Because if you were to file for bankruptcy, they may not get any money from you at all.

If the company reaches a settlement and you agree to the terms, you’ll then use the money you’ve saved to pay off that reduced amount. But keep in mind, debt settlement companies make money by charging a fee - usually around 15% to 25% of the total debt you enrolled. So, if you had $20,000 in debt, that could mean paying $3,000 to $5,000 in fees on top of what you pay your creditors.

Unfortunately not every company is upfront about how debt settlement programs work, and that’s where people can feel misled. So if you’re considering debt settlement, just make sure you understand the full picture and that the company you’re working with is clear and honest from the start. It's a completely valid debt relief option, but just be aware that there are potential risks and cons. 

What Are Your Other Options?

Are you considering a loan to consolidate your debt? If so, we’ve put together a free and super simple calculator to help you see what your options look like! You can compare up to three different loan offers side-by-side, and even get a sense of how other debt relief options might measure up in terms of cost. No need to enter any personal info unless you want to chat through your options with us! You're welcome to just explore at your own pace.

Give it a go below and see what might make the most sense for your situation!


Non-Profit Credit Counseling

If you’ve looked into loans and found out you don’t qualify, try not to stress, as there are still some great options out there! One worth checking out that was mentioned earlier by a few Reddit users is non-profit credit counseling. It’s usually free or really affordable, which makes it a solid choice if money’s already tight. You’ll get to talk with a certified credit counselor who can help you make sense of what you owe and build a plan that actually feels doable.

Curious if non-profit credit counseling might work for you? Watch the video below to learn more:

Debt Settlement vs. Bankruptcy

A lot of people hear the word “bankruptcy” and immediately think it’s a worst-case scenario - but honestly, that’s not always true! For some, it can be a smart and practical way to hit reset to get a fresh start. It really just depends on your situation, and there’s no shame in at least looking into it.

We put together a video that walks through the differences between debt settlement and bankruptcy to help you figure out which path might make the most sense for you. Give it a watch and see what feels right:

Final Thoughts

Overall the reviews seem to be mixed, but it's important to review both sides to get a better understanding of what you can expect. Debt settlement programs can be a solid option for some, but they're not always the right fit for everyone. And the reality is, a lot of folks often don’t qualify for debt consolidation loans, which can make the whole process feel even more frustrating. With so many companies offering programs and mixed reviews everywhere you look, it’s totally normal to feel unsure about who to trust. Take your time, read through different experiences (the good and the bad), and choose the path that feels right for your situation.

At Ascend, we really believe in the power of taking that first step toward a better financial future. We know debt can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. The sooner you start exploring your options, the more peace of mind and control you’ll have.

If you’re trying to figure out whether debt settlement, bankruptcy, credit counseling - or something else entirely - is right for you, we’re here to help! No pressure, no sales pitch - just real, honest guidance. Give us a call at 833-272-3631 and let’s figure this out together.
Was this helpful?
Add Ascend on Google