See if you could settle your debt for less than you owe
We work to reduce what you owe on credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans. You make one affordable monthly payment while we negotiate with your creditors. Programs are typically built to run 24 to 48 months.
Oak View Debt Relief is a debt settlement company. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal services.
Request received
A certified specialist will call within one business day to go over your options. Nothing is committed until you say so.
See if you qualify
Free and no obligation. Takes about two minutes.
You stay in control. Our specialists do the work.
Three steps, and you approve every decision along the way.
Talk to us, free
About twenty minutes on the phone. Tell us your balances, your income, and what is making this hard. Nothing is committed.
We build your plan
We lay out your realistic options with the cost, credit impact, and timeline of each, including the ones that do not involve us.
We negotiate, you approve
Your specialist negotiates with your creditors and brings each settlement back to you. Nothing is accepted until you say yes.
Five paths out. We help you pick the right one.
Not every program fits every situation. Your specialist explains the trade-offs of each, including the ones that do not work in your favor.
Debt settlement
We negotiate directly with your creditors to reduce what you owe, then roll the reduced balances into one monthly deposit you can afford.
Debt consolidation
One loan pays off several balances, leaving a single payment, often at a lower rate. We help you compare offers from third-party lenders.
Credit card debt
We compare settlement, consolidation, and structured payment plans for your card balances and help you pick whichever gets you out fastest for the least cost.
Payday loan help
We work to negotiate payoffs or consolidate recurring payday and cash advance balances into one payment, to help break the cycle of renewing and rolling over.
Medical debt relief
Medical bills follow different rules. We review charges for errors, look into financial assistance eligibility, and negotiate what remains.
Debt settlement is one of four ways out. Here they are side by side.
The right choice depends on how much you owe, your income, and whether creditors are already taking action. This is the honest comparison, including where settlement is not the best fit.
| Category | Minimum payments | Debt consolidation | Debt settlement | Bankruptcy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | You keep paying each creditor the minimum due. Nothing changes. | One new loan pays off several balances, leaving a single payment. | A company negotiates with creditors to accept less than the full balance. | A federal court process. Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debt. Chapter 13 sets a 3 to 5 year repayment plan. |
| Do you pay less than you owe? | No. You repay the full balance plus interest. | No. You still repay the full principal, often at a lower rate. | Often, if creditors agree. There is no guarantee, and not all creditors settle. | Chapter 7 can discharge most unsecured debt. Chapter 13 repays part of it. |
| Effect on credit | Neutral to positive if you pay on time. Missed payments hurt. | Small short-term dip, can improve as balances drop, if you keep up. | Usually drops during the program, since accounts fall behind before they resolve. | A significant drop at filing. Stays on your report 10 years for Chapter 7 or 7 years for Chapter 13, from the filing date. |
| Typical timeline | Often many years on large balances. | The loan term, commonly 2 to 5 years. | Typically 24 to 48 months. | Chapter 7 often a few months. Chapter 13 runs 3 to 5 years. |
| Cost | Interest over time, which can add up to more than the original balance. | Loan interest plus any origination fee. | A fee, charged only after a debt is settled and you approve it. Forgiven debt may be taxed. | Court filing fees plus attorney fees. |
| Stops lawsuits and garnishment? | No. | No. A lender can still sue if you default. | No. Creditors can still sue while you are enrolled. | Yes. Filing triggers an automatic stay that halts most collection, lawsuits, and garnishment. |
| Tax on the forgiven amount | None. Nothing is forgiven. | None. Nothing is forgiven. | Forgiven debt over $600 may be reported to the IRS as taxable income. Exceptions such as insolvency may apply. | Debt discharged in bankruptcy is generally not taxed as income. |
| Best for | Small balances you can clear soon. | Steady income and credit still in decent shape. | Balances too large to repay in full, when you can fund a monthly deposit. | Debt you cannot realistically repay, or when you are already facing lawsuits or garnishment. Chapter 7 has an income based means test. |
Which one fits your situation?
If your balances are manageable and your credit is intact, consolidation or staying current usually costs you the least.
If your balances have grown past what you can repay in full but you can set aside a monthly amount, debt settlement is built for that.
If you are already being sued or your wages are being garnished, bankruptcy is the only option here that legally stops it. That is a legal process, so speak with a bankruptcy attorney.
This comparison is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Debt settlement does not guarantee that any debt will be reduced or resolved, and results depend on your situation. Talk to a specialist about which option fits you.
What to know before you enroll
Debt settlement can help, and it is not right for everyone. Here is the honest version.
The things people ask us first
Oak View Debt Relief is a debt settlement company. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal services. We work with you to negotiate lower payoffs on your unsecured debts, and you pay nothing until a debt is settled and you approve it.
In most cases, yes, at least for a while. Debt settlement usually means you stop paying creditors directly while we negotiate, so accounts can fall behind and your score can drop during the program. Many people see their credit recover over time as debts are resolved, but we cannot promise a specific result. If protecting your score is your main goal, settlement may not be the right fit, and your specialist will tell you that.
You pay nothing upfront. By law, a debt settlement company cannot collect a fee until it settles a debt, you approve the settlement, and you make a payment on it. Our fee is a percentage of the enrolled debt. Your specialist shows you the full cost in writing before you enroll.
Programs are typically built to run 24 to 48 months. The length depends on how much you owe, how much you can set aside each month, and how negotiations go. Your specialist gives you an estimated timeline for your situation before you start.
They might, especially early on. You can tell creditors to contact us instead, and many will, but we cannot promise the calls stop right away. You also have rights under federal law that limit how and when debt collectors can contact you.
Often, yes. If a creditor forgives more than $600 of what you owe, they may report it to the IRS, and it can count as taxable income for that year. Some people qualify for exceptions, such as insolvency. This is not tax advice, so talk to a tax professional.