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.
Reviews.Comparisons.Org Reviews: What Exactly Are They Offering?
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or financial advice.
I came across a few different ads recently on social media for an account called 'Debt Comparisons'. In one of the ads, there was a montage of various people claiming that they're now out of debt thanks to this "program".
In another, it's framed as an interview or a podcast, with the host talking about getting out of debt using what he called an "official debt relief program". He then goes on to say “The more debt you have, the more they can help you” - but who is 'they' exactly?
And in the third ad, a woman walks through her three tips for getting rid of her debt - I'll include these tips below.
Tip #1: Stop making minimum payments.
Tip #2: Pay the smallest debt first (also known as the Snowball method).
Tip #3: Don't do it alone. She then goes on to recommend applying for the "official debt relief program" using her link.
First Impressions
These ads are misleading because they're framing this offer as if there's one singular company and one singular "official debt relief program". Ultimately, that is not the case. The website linked to these social media ads is reviews.comparisons.org.
What is Reviews.Comparisons.Org?
Reviews.Comparisons.org seems to be a subset of Comparisons.org, which specializes in comparing multiple companies in the same category, so their users can explore their options and make the best choice for their situation.
They've compared a wide variety of companies and categories.
What Debt Solutions Companies Does 'Reviews Comparisons' Recommend?
The Reviews Comparisons site seems to be updated regularly, with the most recent update being 3/11/2025 at the time I'm writing this. The top 3 'debt solutions' - or debt settlement - companies they recommend are:
They also have a section titled 'Debt Settlement', to give some context about what exactly debt settlement is.
Now let's break down their current company recommendations for debt relief below:
Freedom Debt Relief
Freedom Debt Relief is one of the largest debt settlement companies in the United States. Many people have questioned if they're a reputable and honest company, or if there have been any lawsuits against them. Like most debt settlement companies, Freedom Debt Relief claims to help reduce your debt by negotiating with creditors on your behalf.
We've written pretty extensively about Freedom Debt Relief in the past, check out those articles below:
Pulled from the Reviews Comparisons 'Reviews' section, overall they gave Freedom Debt Relief an almost perfect rating of 9.9/10.
According to this review, the positives mentioned they have an an established reputation since being in business since 2002, client are not required to pay fees upfront before any results are achieved, and they offer 24/7 customer service. The main negative being that your credit score will be impacted, due to the debt relief process.
But let's check out what reviews on other platforms are saying:
On Better Business Bureau, they currently have a 4.48 out of 5-star rating, with almost 2,000 reviews.
However, don't be completely swayed by the high rating, and be sure to check out the lower-rated reviews as well. These customers mention feeling pressure or deceived, or flat out receiving inconsistent information about the debt consolidation program.
On TrustPilot, they have a 4.6 rating out of 5-stars, with over 45,000 reviews.
But again, make sure to check out the lower-rated reviews for a fuller picture.
JG Wentworth
JG Wentworth is an American financial services company founded in 1991, and has served over 150,000 customers. One of the major products they offer is debt settlement.
For a more in-depth analysis on our JG Wentworth findings, check out this article below:
Pulled from the Reviews Comparisons 'Reviews' section, overall they gave JG Wentworth a 9.2/10 rating.
Some of the positives being that they've been in business for over 30 years, don't charge any fees upfront, offer a free estimate of how much money can be saved, along with tailored options based on their client needs. While some of the negatives are their services are primarily online, and eligibility is limited based on state and how much debt you have (at least $10,000).
Let's check out some of their other reviews:
On Better Business Bureau, they currently have a 3.23 out of 5-star rating, with almost 200 reviews.
But as always, don't overlook the 1-star reviews! They are just as important, if not more so, than the good ones!
And on TrustPilot, they have a 4.8 rating out of 5-stars, with over 14,000 reviews.
Check out a few of the negative reviews we pulled below:
National Debt Relief
National Debt Relief is one of the largest debt relief companies in the United States, specializing in debt settlement.
Find our previous articles about National Debt Relief below:
Pulled from the Reviews Comparisons 'Reviews' section, overall they gave National Debt Relief a 0/10 rating - which seems like a typo considering this is one of their top recommend companies.
Based on this review, some of the positives mentioned are their abundant offerings of informative resources for their clients, consultations can be provided with no-obligation, and they promise that qualified consumers can be debt-free within 24-48 months on average. While some of the negatives mentioned are a cluttered and overwhelming website that isn't intuitively organized for their clients, providing for what could be an off-putting user-experience.
Let's see what some of their clients have to say:
On Better Business Bureau, they currently have a 4.75 out of 5-star rating, with over 5,000 reviews.
But despite the high rating, negative reviews can be found from as recently as March 2025.
And on TrustPilot, they have a 4.7 rating out of 5-stars, with over 41,000 reviews.
Most of their negative reviews mention their clients being unaware of their fees.
Credible
Credible.com is an online loan marketplace that allows users to compare financial products, including: student loans, personal loans, mortgages, and credit cards. It provides a free, secure platform where borrowers can check rates from multiple lenders without affecting their credit score.
Credible Reviews at a Glance
Pulled from the Reviews Comparisons 'Reviews' section, overall they gave Credible an 8.8/10 rating.
Some of the positives: they offer a wide range of loan options, depending on the client's financial situation. They also offer competitive rates, starting at 6.40% fixed APR (with autopay). Additionally, it only takes 2 minutes for clients to see if they qualify, and this doesn't impact their credit score. Clients also have the ability to compare lenders before making a decision, and they don't charge origination fees on their loans.
Some of the negatives: Not necessarily a negative of the company itself, but for clients that are refinancing student loans into private loans, certain perks of federal loans may be forfeited, such as forgiveness programs or income-driven repayment. Additionally, Credible is not a direct lender, meaning that the loan terms and conditions are determined by their partners.
Now let's head to a few review sites to see what their clients have to say:
On Better Business Bureau, they currently have a 1 out of 5-star rating, with only 6 reviews.
Unsurprisingly in this case, as seen above, every review seems to be negative.
However, on TrustPilot, they have a 4.8 rating out of 5-stars, with over 8,000 reviews.
But don't forget to check out the lower-rated reviews!
What Exactly is Debt Settlement?
Debt settlement is a process where a third party negotiates with your creditors to reduce the total debt amount you owe. The goal is to lower your debt - for example, reducing a $20,000 balance to $10,000 - to help provide financial relief.
To start, you'll be advised by the debt settlement company to stop making payments to your creditors immediately. Instead of paying your creditors directly, you would set up a separate savings account, and make monthly deposits into it. The amount you contribute each month would depend on the total debt amount you owe, along with the agreement you establish with the debt settlement company.
Your accounts will become delinquent as you stop making payments to your creditors, leading to late fees and additional interest charges. Once you fall significantly behind, creditors may be more open to negotiating a reduced payoff amount - especially if they believe you might be considering bankruptcy, which could ultimately result in them receiving nothing.
The debt settlement company will then negotiate with your creditors on your behalf. Once they reach an agreement on a reduced balance, and you approve the settlement, you’ll make the agreed-upon payment to resolve the debt.
How Do Debt Settlement Companies Earn Money?
Debt settlement companies earn their money by charging their clients a percentage of the debt they successfully reduce - otherwise known as a fee. Let's say you owe a creditor $20,000 and the company negotiates it down to $10,000 - technically that means you would save $10,000. However, the debt settlement company will typically charge a fee ranging from 10% to 25% of that forgiven amount. This means you could owe them between $1,000 and $2,500 in addition to the $10,000 you still need to pay your creditor. While you would still save at least $7,500-$9,000 overall, the fees reduce the total savings you receive.
What Other Debt Relief Options Do You Have?
If you are struggling with debt and would like to see alternatives or if you're looking for a debt consolidation loan, please consider taking our free debt consolidation loan calculator below! (No personal information is required unless you want to provide it.)
You'll find three different debt consolidation loan options using this calculator, it will even provide an estimated cost for alternative debt consolidation methods, like non-profit credit counseling (which helps lower interest rates through an agency).
What About Non-Profit Credit Counseling?
One of your potential options! Non-profit counseling is a free or low-cost option where you're paired with a credit counselor to help you understand your debt and create a plan to help you lower your payments and interest rates. (This is one of the options mentioned in the calculator above as well.) Non-profit credit counseling can be especially helpful if you don't qualify for a debt consolidation loan.
Check out this video for more details:
Closing Thoughts
Overall, it seems that the "official debt relief program" mentioned in the ads is really just debt settlement. Unfortunately some companies do not always do a great job at fully explaining how debt settlement works to their clients, which can make them feel misled. Before working with any company, read through all negative reviews, and be prepared to ask questions about what exactly they're offering.
Debt relief can absolutely be a helpful solution, but it’s not your only option - and not every social media ad can be trusted. We understand that navigating debt can feel overwhelming, but we encourage you to explore all your options. That way, you can make the most informed decision for your situation and choose a company that truly has your best interests at heart.
At Ascend, we believe in considering all available alternatives with a clear understanding of the costs and implications. We’d be happy to go over your options with you! Feel free to give us a call at 833.272.3631 - we’re here to answer any questions you may have!
Yes
No