Written by Ascend Team
Updated Nov 1st, 2023
Did Sky Bridge Financial (who appears to be related to DebtBlue) prequalify you for a loan with a 7.99% interest rate (similar to the one below)? Did you apply and get rejected for the loan, but you got approved for a debt consolidation program (aka debt forgiveness / debt resolution / debt relief / debt reduction / debt negotiation / debt settlement / debt arbitration program, the list goes on and on)?
What is the lawsuit currently against Sky Bridge Financial?
We will cover all that and more, so let's get started.
What is Sky Bridge Financial?
According to Sky Bridge Financial's website, they offer three different types of loans. An Advantage Loan, which is a personal loan that allows you to pay off multiple debts at once. Another option is a Fast Trac Loan, which is for someone already in a debt relief program and needs help speeding up the process. The last one is a Re-Vantage Loan, which relates to Fast Trac loan clients and allowing them to lower interest rates on their account. I was unable to find any information about qualifying for a loan on their website and what happens if you do not qualify.
If you are looking for a loan, we have 2 debt consolidation loan options that we like that do not affect your credit score when checking rate and do not charge prepayment penalties.
Sky Bridge Financial Lawsuit
It appears that there has been a lawsuit files against Sky Bridge Financial and DebtBlue in the court of Ohio under Case 2:23-cv-02926-EAS-KAJ. The lawsuit involves allegations that there has been illegal use of and access to the private financial data in the consumer reports of financially distress consumers.
The lawsuit alleges that the Plaintiff got a mailer stating pre-approval for a loan of 7.99% interest rate. When the plaintiff called into the DebtBlue representative allegedly stated that the individual would not qualify for a loan based on the credit score, but that he pitched the Plaintiff a debt settlement program.
Important Distinction: Loans vs Programs
If you are wanting to help tackle your debt, but don't know where to start, it is always helpful to know the difference between options. Especially loans and programs, because often times they can get marketed as the same thing with different bait and switch mailers that are sent.
Loans:
- Proceeds for the loan will get deposited into your bank account
- Plan to have a fixed interest rate associated with the loan
- If you are able to keep up with the payments, your credit score MAY improve
- If you keep up with the payments, your creditors will not sue (accounts won't go into default)
Programs:
- No proceed go into your account, but rather you set up an escrow account where monthly payments will be taken out until settlement is reached
- Interest and fees will continue to build until the account reaches charged off status or is sent to collections
- High likelihood credit score will be severely damaged
- Fall behind on accounts (typically 90-120 days)
- Creditors can threaten to take legal action
- Taxes may be owed on forgiven debt
Sky Bridge Financial History
I was able to find Sky Bridge Financial on Wayback Machine. It looks like the website's history dates back to 2011. But I am unsure if it is the same company or a different one with the same name that has since gone out of business.
How Much Do Debt Consolidation Programs Cost?
At Ascend, we believe that debt consolidation programs (debt relief) may be a good option, but often in context in understanding all the costs and duration estimates of all your options. As such we built the free debt consolidation program cost calculator below to help you compare your current monthly obligations to a debt consolidation program.
Sky Bridge Financial Reviews
I find reading reviews from different platforms, incredibly helpful in order to get the full picture. It helps determine if they are a legitimate company and if they are someone I would want to work with.
BBB
Unfortunately, I was unable to find Sky Bridge Financial on BBB. However, based on the mailer received, it appears as though DebtBlue and Sky Bridge are connected. So I wanted to include DebtBlue's BBB reviews.
It appears as though DebtBlue has received a 4.79/5 stars. I notice they have 23 complaints in the last year, so I am curious to read about other's experiences.
One thing I noticed, was how many positive reviews have been left in a short period of time. I am curious if they asked people to leave them a positive review after an initial conversation or if a lot of people just had great experiences in a short period of time.
One complaint mentioned Sky Bridge and a loan that was supposed to kick in around month 7, but then the agreement changed without this individual's knowledge.
Google Reviews
Similarly to BBB, unfortunately I could not find any Sky Bridge Financial reviews. I found DebtBlue's Google reviews, so I wanted to include those again. They have a 4.7 out of 5 stars out of 1,634 reviews. 
The reviews seemed similar to the BBB ones. A lot of positive reviews in a short period of time. Most of the positive reviews discussed how the people they spoke with were very kind and the customer service was great. One negative review that stood out to me came from an employee who said management made them write a positive review.
TrustPilot Reviews
Again, unfortunately there were no TrustPilot reviews for Sky Bridge. However, I found DebtBlue on TrustPilot.
Similarly, there were a lot of recent reviews in a short period of time. All are pretty vague, saying they enjoyed their conversations.
The negative reviews discussed feeling as though they wasted their money and they wished they hadn't worked with DebtBlue.
Other Reviews
I was unable to find any other reviews on other platforms.
Alternative Options to Sky Bridge Financial
Many people prefer to try to get a debt consolidation loan before looking at options such as debt management, debt payoff planning, debt settlement or bankruptcy. If you've searched far and wide for a loan and can qualify, consider taking the free debt consolidation program cost calculator below that allows you to compare to other options.
