At a Glance
Rating Breakdown
Performance Overview
Scores out of 5, based on our editorial analysis
About Rescue One Financial
Rescue One Financial is a boutique debt settlement firm headquartered in Irvine, California that has focused exclusively on financial hardship cases since 2010. While most settlement companies accept anyone with sufficient debt, Rescue One specifically targets consumers in crisis — job loss, medical emergencies, divorce, disability, death of a spouse — and trains its counselors to address both the financial and emotional dimensions of debt distress. They have resolved over $500 million in consumer debt with only 22 CFPB complaints in three years, one of the lowest absolute counts in the industry. The hardship specialization has practical implications beyond marketing. Creditors respond differently to documented hardship cases than to consumers who simply overspent. When a negotiator can present evidence of medical emergency, job loss, or disability, creditor settlement departments often have internal hardship protocols that authorize deeper discounts — sometimes 60-75% off the balance — that are not available for standard settlement requests. Rescue One's counselors are trained to help clients document their hardship properly and present it effectively during negotiations. This is a genuine competitive advantage for the right client profile. Rescue One also offers meaningful payment flexibility that most competitors do not. If your financial situation changes mid-program — a second job loss, reduced hours, unexpected medical bill — they will adjust monthly deposit amounts without penalty or program extension. This matters because rigid deposit schedules cause dropouts: a client who misses two months of deposits may lose accumulated escrow to fees or get dropped from the program. Rescue One's flexibility reduces this risk. The trade-off is their smaller size (50-100 employees) and limited geographic reach (35+ states). Fees run 18-25% with dual IAPDA/AFCC accreditation.
Key Features
Hardship Specialization
Their counselors are trained for people in crisis — job loss, medical emergency, divorce. They know the difference between someone who overspent and someone whose life fell apart.
Compassionate Approach
No hard sell. If you are dealing with a medical crisis or job loss on top of debt, the last thing you need is a salesperson adding pressure.
Flexible Payment Plans
Lose your job again or hit another medical bill? They adjust your monthly deposits without penalty. Most firms charge you or extend your timeline for that.
Creditor Harassment Support
Getting 10 collection calls a day? Rescue One steps in to communicate with your creditors and get those calls reduced.
How It Works
Compassionate Consultation
Talk to someone who actually listens to what happened — the job loss, the medical bills, the divorce. Free, no pressure.
Custom Hardship Plan
Your plan accounts for what you can afford right now, not what you could afford before your life changed. Deposits adjust as your situation changes.
Creditor Intervention
They reach out to creditors with your hardship documentation — medical records, termination letters, divorce papers — to unlock deeper discounts.
Settlement
Every settlement offer comes to you first. You decide what gets paid. No surprises.
What They Do
- Debt Settlement
- Hardship Programs
- Creditor Communication
- Financial Counseling
Debt Types They Take On
- Credit Cards
- Medical Bills
- Personal Loans
- Store Cards
- Collections
Fee & Cost Structure
Regulatory & Trust
Review Summary
Notable Case Studies
Medical Emergency Plus Job Loss
Client enrolled \$45,000 in debt — \$28,000 in medical bills from an emergency cardiac event and \$17,000 in credit cards used for living expenses during 4 months of unemployment. Rescue One's counselor documented the medical hardship and job loss, which the negotiators presented to creditors. The hospital system settled \$28,000 in medical debt for \$7,000 (75% off) within 4 months using their internal charity care/hardship protocols. Monthly deposits started at \$400, were reduced to \$250 during months 8-12 when the client was on reduced hours, then returned to \$500.
Post-Divorce Debt with Income Reduction
Client enrolled \$33,000 in credit card debt following a divorce that reduced household income from \$95,000 to \$48,000. Three children remained in the client's custody. Rescue One designed a program with \$380 monthly deposits (8% of gross income) and adjusted deposits twice when childcare costs fluctuated. The documented hardship (divorce decree, income verification) helped negotiators secure 55-65% discounts across all 4 accounts.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Only firm in our review that explicitly specializes in documented hardship cases — counselors help you present medical records, job loss documentation, and divorce decrees to creditors for deeper discounts
- Payment flexibility without penalties is a genuine differentiator — most firms charge fees or extend timelines when clients reduce deposits, while Rescue One adjusts without consequence
- 22 CFPB complaints in 3 years combined with A+ BBB and dual IAPDA/AFCC accreditation represents the cleanest regulatory profile among smaller firms in our review
- Creditor hardship protocols can authorize settlement discounts of 60-75% — significantly deeper than the standard 40-55% range — when proper documentation is presented
- Counselors provide emotional support alongside financial guidance, which reduces the psychological burden that causes many hardship clients to abandon settlement programs prematurely
Cons
- Only 35+ states served — the most limited geographic reach in our review, excluding residents of 10-15 states from enrollment
- 50-100 employees means genuine capacity constraints — during high-demand periods (post-holiday season, economic downturns), wait times for consultations and assigned counselors can stretch to 2+ weeks
- Fees of 18-25% start above the 15% floor offered by larger competitors, and the hardship specialization does not translate into lower fees despite potentially deeper settlement discounts
- Limited online platform and no mobile app — Rescue One operates primarily through phone and email, which feels outdated compared to TurboDebt or Beyond Finance's digital experiences
User Reviews (9)
they work with your income
Lost my job. They structured my deposits at $275/month based on unemployment income instead of demanding $500+ like everyone else. As my income recovered they adjusted upward. That flexibility mattered.
small firm pros and cons
Personal touch is real. But calls sometimes go to voicemail and callbacks take a day or two. For a company built around hardship cases faster response matters since their clients are often in crisis. Settlements were good though.
treated me with dignity
Called in tears after losing my spouse. The consultant spent an hour with me. No sales pressure. My counselor checked in on how I was doing as a person not just a client number. Settled everything in 30 months. Shoutout to Karen who was there for me through all of it.
THREE DAYS to call me back about a LAWSUIT
Got a creditor lawsuit letter on Friday. Called Rescue One. Voicemail. Called Monday. Voicemail AGAIN. Callback came WEDNESDAY. Three days of panicking about getting sued and nobody picks up the phone?!?! For a company that says they help people in crisis THREE DAYS is not ok. It ended up being a bluff but I didn't know that and I couldn't sleep for three nights straight.
flexible deposits but slower
Lower monthly deposits mean escrow builds slowly which means settlements take longer. First settlement came at month 9 vs 4-5 at ADR. Makes sense mathematically but the wait was stressful.
would recommend
would recommend
same results as everyone else
Didn't experience any special advantage. Same rates same fees same timeline as NDR and ADR. If you're not in hardship any of the major firms will deliver the same thing basically.
good with military families
Military spouse. They understood PCS moves and irregular income during transitions. Adjusted the timeline around our schedule without penalties. Not all companies get that.
less leverage maybe?
My Discover settled at 54%. A friend with a similar balance got 49% through NDR. Could be random. Could be that bigger volume = more leverage. Hard to say.
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Important Debt Relief Disclaimers
- Debt settlement programs may negatively affect your credit score. When you enroll, you typically stop making payments to creditors, which results in late payments, collections, and potential charge-offs on your credit report.
- There is no guarantee that a debt settlement company can settle all of your debts or reduce them by a specific amount. Creditors are not required to negotiate or accept settlement offers.
- Debt settlement fees are typically 15%-25% of the enrolled debt amount. You should not pay fees before a debt has been successfully settled. The FTC prohibits debt settlement companies from charging upfront fees before settling at least one debt.
- Forgiven debt of $600 or more may be considered taxable income by the IRS. You may receive a Form 1099-C from creditors for canceled debt. Consult a tax professional about potential tax consequences.
- Creditors may continue collection efforts, including lawsuits, wage garnishment, and bank levies, while you are enrolled in a debt settlement program. A debt settlement company cannot guarantee protection from legal action.
- Alternatives to debt settlement include debt consolidation loans, credit counseling through nonprofit agencies, debt management plans, and bankruptcy. Consider all options and consult with a licensed financial advisor or attorney before enrolling in any debt relief program.
- Zogby does not provide debt relief services. We are an independent comparison service. We do not negotiate with creditors on your behalf or manage debt settlement accounts.
This page is informational, not financial or legal advice. Talk to a qualified professional before making any big money decisions.
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