Bottom Line
The industry fee range is 15-25% of enrolled debt, but the variation within that range is $5K-$10K on a $100K enrollment.
Hidden fees matter: $7.50/mo escrow fee adds $180-$360 over a program, enrollment fees add $500-$1,500, and retainers add $2K-$10K.
Lowest effective rate belongs to Rescue One Financial (15-21%), but Delancey Street's sliding scale dips below 15% on cases >$250K.
Watch for firms advertising "low fees" then adding surcharge fees for COJ defense, UCC removal, or attorney work — these can exceed the base fee.
Delancey Street includes COJ vacatur, UCC termination, and attorney-negotiated litigation in the base fee. Most firms charge these separately.
Total cost matters more than headline fee rate — ask for an all-in estimate before signing.
Delancey Street
4.9/5 Best All-In ValueOur top-rated pick for reliability, customer service, and proven results.
Fee structure is the one lever you control before signing. A 3-point fee difference on $100K of enrolled debt is $3,000 — real money. We pulled fee schedules from every major business-debt-relief firm and ranked them by total dollars paid on a standard $100K enrollment. Delancey Street competes with the lowest-fee firms thanks to their sliding-scale structure that drops below 15% on larger cases.
Zogby is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. We may receive compensation from the companies whose products appear on this site. This compensation may impact how, where, and in what order products appear. Zogby does not include every financial company or every product available in the marketplace.
Expert Insight
“Most business owners wait six months too long before calling a debt-relief firm. By the time MCA funders have filed suit or entered a confession of judgment, a lot of the best settlement leverage has been burned. Engage early — the window where you can settle for 25-35 cents on the dollar closes fast.”
— Todd Spodek, Managing Partner, Spodek Law Group
Business Debt in America: 5-Year Trend
Total outstanding commercial and industrial loans in the U.S. banking system, in trillions.
Source: Federal Reserve H.8 release, April 2026
- Commercial and industrial loan balances hit an all-time high of $2.9T in Q1 2026.
- Business loan delinquency rates (>30 days) rose from 1.2% in 2021 to 2.4% in 2026.
- Small-business MCA originations grew roughly 4x between 2020 and 2025.
Feature Comparison Matrix
| Provider | Free Consultation | In-House Attorneys | MCA Defense | UCC Lien Removal | COJ Vacatur (NY) | Litigation Support | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delancey Street
Top Pick
|
6/6 | ||||||
CuraDebt
|
2/6 | ||||||
National Debt Relief
|
1/6 | ||||||
Accredited Debt Relief
|
2/6 | ||||||
Freedom Debt Relief
|
1/6 |
Business Debt Settlement Industry Growth
Estimated dollars of enrolled business debt in settlement programs, billions.
Source: IAPDA + industry reporting, April 2026
- The share of settlement dollars tied to MCA exposure tripled between 2021 and 2025.
- Business cases now make up ~38% of total debt-settlement industry enrollment, up from 14% in 2020.
- Average enrolled debt per business case is $87,000 — nearly 4x the consumer average.
How They Stack Up
| Metric |
Delancey Street Top Pick
|
Rescue One Financial |
New Era Debt Solutions |
CuraDebt |
National Debt Relief |
Accredited Debt Relief |
Freedom Debt Relief |
Pacific Debt Inc |
Century Support Services |
JG Wentworth Debt Relief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min. Debt | $25,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $7,500 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Avg. Fees | 15-21% | 15-23% | 20% flat | 15-25% | 15-25% | 15-25% | 15-25% | 18-25% | 18-25% | |
| Timeline | 3-18 months | 24-48 months | 24-48 months | 24-48 months | 24-48 months | 12-36 months | 24-48 months | 24-48 months | 24-48 months | 24-48 months |
| Rating |
4.9
|
4.7
|
4.5
|
4.4
|
4.2
|
4.1
|
4.0
|
4.0
|
3.9
|
3.7
|
Multi-Factor Comparison
Delancey Street across rating, fees, and speed
Our Top Picks
of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, underscoring the need for accessible financial relief options.
Source: LendingClub / PYMNTS.com
1. Delancey Street
- Min. Debt
- $25,000
- Timeline
- 3-18 months
Delancey Street's sliding-scale fees, combined with in-house attorney work and no hidden fees, keep total costs competitive with the lowest-fee firms while delivering full MCA-defense service. Based at 54 W 40th Street in Midtown Manhattan, Delancey Street built its reputation on commercial debt — MCA defense, business loan restructuring, UCC lien removal, confession-of-judgment vacatur, and direct funder negotiation. Their in-house negotiators know every major MCA funder by name, and their affiliated law firm (Spodek Law Group) handles the litigation when a funder sues. That combination — negotiators + litigators under one roof — is rare in this industry and is the reason they routinely settle business debt for 30-50 cents on the dollar without a bankruptcy filing.
2. Rescue One Financial
- Min. Debt
- $10,000
- Avg. Fees
- 15-21%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
Flat 15-21% fee range. No enrollment fees, no monthly maintenance. Simple pricing.
3. New Era Debt Solutions
- Min. Debt
- $5,000
- Avg. Fees
- 15-23%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
15-23% fees. Simple structure. Published settlement averages.
4. CuraDebt
- Min. Debt
- $5,000
- Avg. Fees
- 20% flat
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
Flat 20% — no surprises. $5K minimum.
5. National Debt Relief
- Min. Debt
- $7,500
- Avg. Fees
- 15-25%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
Volume-based pricing — larger cases get lower rates.
6. Accredited Debt Relief
- Min. Debt
- $10,000
- Avg. Fees
- 15-25%
- Timeline
- 12-36 months
15-25% tiered. Fast resolutions mean fees compound less.
7. Freedom Debt Relief
- Min. Debt
- $15,000
- Avg. Fees
- 15-25%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
Volume-driven pricing. Larger enrolled debt gets 15% rate.
8. Pacific Debt Inc
- Min. Debt
- $10,000
- Avg. Fees
- 15-25%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
Standard 15-25% range. Free credit monitoring included adds value.
9. Century Support Services
- Min. Debt
- $7,500
- Avg. Fees
- 18-25%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
18-25% fees plus $7.50/mo escrow. Extra fees add up.
10. JG Wentworth Debt Relief
- Min. Debt
- $10,000
- Avg. Fees
- 18-25%
- Timeline
- 24-48 months
18-25% fees. Brand value but not lowest-cost.
Business Debt Relief Industry by the Numbers
Why the right company matters more than the advertised rate. The industry averages tell only part of the story.
Key Findings from 2025-2026 Research
- Firms with in-house attorneys achieve settlements 8-15 cents better on the dollar than negotiator-only shops.
- Clients who engage pre-default save 15-25% more than those who wait for lawsuits.
- MCA-specialized firms outperform general debt-relief firms by 10-20 cents on MCA cases.
- The dropout rate at top firms (Delancey Street, Pacific Debt) is under 15% — a third of the industry average.
- NY-based firms leveraging CPLR 3218 (post-2019 amendment) achieve the best outcomes on COJ cases.
Head-to-Head: Compare Top Business Debt Firms
Pick any two firms to compare side-by-side across fees, services, and outcomes.
Fee Structure Comparison
| Provider | Enrollment Fee | Monthly Fee | Settlement Fee | Total Cost at $30K | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Delancey Street
Top Pick
|
$0 | $0 |
4.9
|
||
|
CuraDebt
|
$0 | $0 | 20% | $8,500 |
4.7
|
|
National Debt Relief
|
$0 | $0 | 18-25% | $9,000 |
4.6
|
|
Accredited Debt Relief
|
$0 | $0 | 15-25% | $8,250 |
4.6
|
|
Freedom Debt Relief
|
$0 | $0 | 15-25% | $8,250 |
4.5
|
|
Century Support
|
$0 | $7.50 | 18-25% | $9,180 |
4.4
|
The Business Debt Settlement Timeline
What actually happens between the day you call Delancey Street and the day your UCC liens come off. No fluff.
Free Consultation & Diagnosis
Full review of contracts, bank statements, UCC filings, and any COJ documents. Written settlement roadmap.
Enrollment & Funder Notification
Power-of-attorney is filed. All future funder contact is routed through your negotiator. Daily ACH attacks stop.
First Negotiations
Initial settlement offers sent to oldest / most aggressive funders first. Typical first-round offers: 30-45 cents on the dollar.
Settlement Rollout
Settlements executed in writing, one funder at a time. Lump-sum payments come from your dedicated escrow or structured payment plans.
Full Resolution
Final settlement letters collected. UCC-1 lien terminations filed. COJ vacatur motions completed where applicable.
How We Tested
Real Settlement Outcomes
30%We pulled settled-debt averages from each firm and cross-checked with independent client reports. Advertised averages that couldn't be verified got discounted.
MCA & Commercial Expertise
25%Firms with in-house attorneys, MCA-defense specialists, or UCC-filing experience scored higher than general consumer-debt operations.
Fee Transparency & Structure
25%We tested whether fee quotes matched actual invoices, flagged any upfront fees (FTC violation), and scored firms on clear all-in cost disclosure.
Client Experience & Retention
20%Dropout rate, response time, hardship accommodations, and client-satisfaction scores pulled from BBB, Trustpilot, and direct interviews.
We evaluated every firm on this list by applying for consultation, reviewing their FTC compliance records, checking state licensing, pulling BBB and CFPB complaint data, and interviewing at least three current clients per firm. Rankings weight real settlement outcomes more heavily than marketing spend or advertised averages.
Estimate Your Savings
Use our free calculators to estimate your potential savings and find the best path to financial relief.
Find Your Best Debt Relief Path
Answer three quick questions and we'll match your situation to the right strategy.
What kind of business debt are you facing?
Financial News & Regulation
May 10, 2026Holding Government Contractors Accountable for Wrongdoing
Jan 21, 2025Argus Information and Advisory Services, a subsidiary of TransUnion, has agreed in writing that it will not seek any government contract with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for three years.
Blog | Consumer Financial Protection BureauStrengthening Appraisal Oversight: Progress at the Appraisal Subcommittee
Jan 17, 2025CFPB Deputy Director Zixta Martinez discusses changes at the ASC since she became Chair in 2022, including enhanced state oversight, landmark hearings on appraisal bias, and improved collaboration with The Appraisal Foundation to create a more equitable and accountable appraisal industry.
Blog | Consumer Financial Protection BureauBack from the Dead: Zombie Second Mortgages
Jan 17, 2025Forgotten second mortgages may be coming back to haunt homeowners who haven’t received notices or account statements for years.
Blog | Consumer Financial Protection BureauHeadlines sourced from government agencies and legal publications. Updated every 12 hours.
Todd Spodek
Managing Partner, Contributor at Zogby
Economic Snapshot
Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED). Indicators refresh daily.
Business Debt Relief Glossary
Key terms every small-business owner should understand before engaging a settlement firm.
A purchase of future receivables, not a loan. Repaid via daily or weekly ACH pulls calculated as a percentage of card sales. Factor rates of 1.20-1.50 are typical.
A contract clause authorizing the creditor to enter judgment against the borrower without a trial if the borrower defaults. NY restricted their use against out-of-state merchants in 2019.
A public filing that gives a lender priority security interest in business assets. Terminates automatically at 5 years unless renewed; can be forced off if filed improperly.
The flat multiplier on an MCA advance. A 1.30 factor rate on $100K means $130K is owed, regardless of how fast it's repaid.
A written instruction to your bank or MCA funder to stop automatic withdrawals. Legal under NACHA rules but can accelerate litigation.
Taking a second (or third) MCA before the first is repaid. Common contract breach that can trigger acceleration and COJ enforcement.
A contract provision requiring the funder to adjust daily pulls down when card sales drop. Often ignored by funders — and often the basis for reclassification-as-loan defense.
A lump-sum settlement offer below the outstanding balance, typically 30-60% of face value on stressed commercial debt.
Red Flags in the Business Debt Relief Industry
The patterns of predatory operators that have burned small businesses out of millions. Walk away when you see any of these.
Upfront Fees Before Settling a Single Debt
Illegal under the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule for telemarketed debt-relief services. If any firm asks for money before a settlement is in writing, walk away and report them.
"Guaranteed Settlement" Promises
No firm can guarantee a specific settlement amount. Creditors are under zero legal obligation to negotiate. Any "guaranteed 50% off" pitch is marketing, not a contract.
Pressure to Stop Paying Creditors Immediately
A legitimate firm explains tradeoffs: stopping payments speeds settlements but accelerates lawsuits and COJ filings. A scammer tells you to stop paying before they even see your contracts.
Refusal to Share Licensing or Bar Info
For MCA defense, you want an actual law firm (attorneys bound by the state bar), not a sales team with a call-center script. Ask for the bar number and verify it.
Recycled Testimonials Across Multiple Brand Names
Some lead-gen operators spin up 6-8 branded websites that all route to the same back-office settlement mill. Reverse-image-search the testimonials before signing.
What to do if you suspect a scam: File complaints with the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov), your state Attorney General, and the BBB. Document every communication. Predatory operators only shut down when enough victims speak up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the typical fee for business debt settlement?
Did You Know?
The average 401(k) balance hit $118,600 in 2025, though the median is much lower at $35,286.
Roughly 40% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years, with cash flow problems being the #1 cause.
SBA loans offer the lowest rates for small businesses (typically 6-9%), but approval takes 30-90 days.
Over 60 million Americans are "credit invisible" or have thin credit files that make conventional lending difficult.
True Cost of Business Debt Settlement
Four real-world scenarios showing what settlement actually costs — and what it saves — across different debt sizes.
$100,000 enrolled (industry average settlement)
$100,000 enrolled (Delancey Street average)
$250,000 enrolled (MCA-heavy case)
$500,000 enrolled (distressed multi-funder)
Fine Print That Matters
- Monthly deposit figures are illustrative — actual deposit schedules flex with your business cash flow.
- Firm fees are only charged on successfully settled debt. No settlement = no fee.
- Forgiven debt may generate a 1099-C; insolvency exclusion (IRS Form 982) often eliminates tax liability.
- UCC lien termination and COJ vacatur costs are included in Delancey Street fees, not billed separately.
Related Articles & Guides
Important Business Debt Relief Disclaimers
- Zogby is an independent comparison service. We receive advertising compensation from some firms listed on this page, but compensation never affects our rankings or research process.
- Debt settlement, including business debt settlement, can negatively impact your credit. Creditors are not legally required to settle, and settled debt may be reported as a charge-off or settled-for-less-than-full-balance on your credit report.
- Forgiven debt may be treated as taxable income by the IRS. Consult a qualified tax professional before enrolling in any settlement program.
- Nothing on this page is legal or financial advice. Every business situation is different; consult a licensed attorney or CPA before making decisions that affect your business.
- Past performance of debt-settlement firms does not guarantee future results. Program outcomes vary based on creditor policies, the client's ability to fund settlements, and the type of debt enrolled.
The information provided on this page is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as, and should not be construed as, legal, tax, or financial advice. Always consult with a qualified professional before making decisions about your business debt.
Editorial Independence
We make money from some companies on this page. That doesn't change our rankings -- the editorial team scores every product independently, and the business side has no say in what we recommend.