When hiring a debt settlement company for debt relief advice, it is better to go for one of the top rated ones.
There are many ways to determine whether the rating of a settlement company is good.
The best method to find a top rated settlement company is to approach one of the debt relief networks.
These networks are non profit organizations which provide membership to companies after checking their credentials.
Only established companies with a proven performance record are awarded memberships.
Moreover, member companies have to pass a stringent ethical standards test.
Another chief characteristic of a top rated settlement company is that it will definitely be member of a trade association of settlement companies.
This fact should be mentioned on the web site of the company.
It is very easy to verify whether or not the company is really a member of a trade association.
There are other things a debtor can check in order to decide if the debt settlement company is a top rated one.
A reputable company will always charge a reasonable fee.
This amount will be approximately 10% of the total settlement amount.
Any company which either charges too high or too low an amount as fees should be avoided.
All top rated settlement companies provide free financial counseling along with the debt settlement services.
They educate the debtor on how to plan a budget and avoid debt in the future.
They also provide guidance on how to increase savings.
Moreover, all top rated debt companies have reasonable and clearly defined refund policies.
A debtor is free to withdraw from the settlement program with a full refund of fees, if he or she is not satisfied with the services.
All this information is usually available on the company's web site.