New Era Debt Solutions Review

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New Era Debt Solutions

New Era Debt Solutions

Investopedia’s Rating
4.0

Our Take

New Era Debt Solutions is a highly rated debt relief firm that can help you settle and pay off unsecured debts in three years or less. Founded in 1999, this company has been around long enough to help their clients settle over $250 million in debt. There are no upfront fees charged, and you can start the process with a free consultation.

  • Pros & Cons
  • Key Takeaways
  • Company Overview 
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • No upfront fees charged, and you can get started with a free debt analysis

  • Client dashboard makes it easy to monitor your debt settlement program online

  • Most clients can get out of debt in two to three years

Cons
  • Not available in every state

  • Does not disclose fee range for debt settlement

Key Takeaways
  • New Era Debt Solutions can help you settle your debts and become debt-free within three years or less, although the length of your program depends on several factors.
  • New Era claims that, on average, they help consumers realize a savings of 52.23% of their enrolled debt balances. However, this figure does not take their fees into account.
  • A free consultation and debt analysis can help you determine if debt settlement is for you, and you won't be asked to pay any upfront fees.
  • Debt settlement is a popular solution for unsecured debts, such as credit card debt and medical debt.
Company Overview 

New Era Debt Solutions was founded in 1999, so this company has been in operation for considerably longer than many of its competitors. While New Era Debt Solutions has corporate headquarters in Camarillo, California, this company assists most of its customers online and over the phone.

  • Year Founded 1999
  • Program Length Two to three years on average
  • Fee Schedule 14% to 23% of the original debt amount enrolled
  • Customer Service Telephone and email customer service
  • Phone Number 844-846-5457
  • Official Website www.NewEraDebtSolutions.com

Like many other debt relief companies, New Era Debt Solutions aims to help consumers out of debt using a strategy known as debt settlement. With debt settlement, consumers stop making payments on their unsecured debts and instead begin saving a fixed amount of money in a separate account. 

After some time passes, the debt settlement company (in this case, New Era Debt Solutions) begins using the money that you have amassed to negotiate and settle debts for less than the amount currently owed. New Era Debt Solutions claims that your first settlement will be made within six months of starting the program, but progress could be made sooner.

New Era Debt Solutions does not charge any upfront fees to create your debt relief plan. Instead, they charge fees for each debt they settle. Unfortunately, New Era does not disclose their fee range like many of their competitors do.

While the timeline of your program can vary, New Era claims their customers complete their debt settlement plans within 28 months on average. During that time, you could realize a savings of 52.23% on your enrolled debt amounts, not accounting for fees. 

Because debt settlement asks you to stop paying bills while you wait to have your debts negotiated and settled, this debt relief strategy can cause damage to your credit score. If you're worried about your credit, consider debt relief alternatives like debt management plans (DMPs) and debt consolidation.

Pros Explained

  • No upfront fees charged, and you can get started with a free debt analysis: New Era Debt Solutions offers the benefit of a free consultation where you can get your questions answered and learn more about their services. Fees are only paid upon debt settlement. 
  • Client dashboard makes it easy to monitor your debt settlement program online: Most debt relief companies do not offer an online portal for their clients, yet New Era Debt Solutions does.
  • Most clients can get out of debt in two to three years: While the length of your program will vary, New Era says most of their clients get out of debt in three years or less. In fact, the average program length is currently 28 months.

Cons Explained

  • Not available in every state: New Era Debt Solutions does not offer services in Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, and Oregon.
  • Does not disclose fee range for debt settlement: While most top debt relief companies are transparent about their fees online, New Era Debt Solutions does not disclose a fee range for their clients.

Types of Debt Addressed

New Era Debt Solutions can help you settle unsecured debts you have, which they claim is any debt that is "not tied to a specific material item that could be repossessed by the creditor." This means debt settlement does not work for an auto loan or your home mortgage.

Debts you can settle with New Era include the following:

Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt is commonly included in debt settlement plans since it is unsecured and tends to come with high interest rates. New Era Debt Solutions points out that store card debt can be included as well.

Medical Bills

If you have past due medical bills or medical debts so large you cannot pay them off, New Era Debt Solutions can help you settle for less than you owe.

Personal Loans and Lines of Credit

Unsecured personal loans can also qualify for debt settlement, and so can unsecured lines of credit you might have with a bank.

Private Student Loans

Finally, you may be able to include private student loans in a debt settlement plan. However, federal student loans backed by the federal government cannot be negotiated.

New Era Debt Solutions reminds clients that credit union debts cannot be included in their debt settlement plans. "That’s because a credit union is a member-owned organization, where a settlement would come at the expense of your fellow credit union members," they write. "For this reason, Credit Unions are unwilling to accept anything less than the full balance owed."

Client Onboarding

New Era Debt Solutions offers an online calculator that shows how much you might save on your debts. From there, they also offer a free debt analysis phone call that can help you find out how much you can save, as well as how long your debt settlement program would take.

While other debt relief companies list a minimum amount of unsecured debt you need to get started, New Era Debt Solutions does not disclose this information.

Customer Service

New Era Debt Solution lets you speak with a trained debt specialist for free. You can learn more about their services during this call, and you can ask about laws like the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. By the end of the call, you should have an idea of how much you would need to save each month for your debt settlement plan, how long your program will take, and how much you can save.

In terms of ongoing customer service, New Era Debt Solutions really stands out due to its online client dashboard. You can also speak with a debt specialist from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST, Monday through Saturday, or with a regular customer service agent from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.

New Era also claims they offer "after hours appointments" if you need to speak with someone outside of their regular business hours. 

Company Reputation

The debt relief industry does not have a stellar reputation, and this is mostly due to the many shady companies that make false promises in this space. If you want to avoid dealing with a company that is less than reputable, you'll want to do some research upfront.

At the very least, we suggest searching the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database for complaints about each company you're considering. In the meantime, check the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website to make sure each company is not part of a lawsuit or an investigation.

New Era Debt Solutions does not have any registered complaints with the CFPB database. They have not faced any legal action from the FTC, either.

If you have a complaint about the services of a debt relief company, you can file a complaint with the FTC or call 877-FTC-HELP.

Average Relief Amount

New Era Debt Relief says their clients save an average of 52.23% on enrolled debt amounts, not accounting for fees. However, settlement amounts can vary widely based on your specific and unique circumstances. 

Average Time for Relief

While debt settlement programs can vary based on how much debt you have and how much you can afford to save each month, New Era says their average program length is currently 28 months. This is on the higher end of the industry average for debt settlement, which is around 14 months. 

Cost

New Era Debt Solutions doesn't charge any fees upfront. Their fees can range between 14% to 23% of the original debt amount enrolled into the debt relief program.

The Competition

  New Era Debt Solutions Greenwise Debt Relief
Services Offered Debt Settlement Debt Settlement
Customer Service Touchpoints Free consultation Phone and email customer service Online client dashboard Free consultation Phone and email customer service
Fees (Estimated 14% to 23% of the original debt amount enrolled No upfront fees Pay 18% to 25% of your debt
Average Program Time 24 to 48 months, average is 28 months 24 to 48 months

If your goal is debt settlement, you have plenty of debt relief companies to choose from. To help in your search, we compared New Era Debt Solutions to another debt settlement company, Greenwise Debt Relief.

As you can see from the table above, New Era Debt Solutions stands out in terms of its online client dashboard that lets you monitor your debt settlement program online and any time of the day or night.

With that in mind, we believe New Era is a better choice for debt settlement than Greenwise Debt Relief.

Final Verdict

New Era Debt Solutions is a quality debt relief company with excellent reviews. They also have a few standout features, including an online debt settlement calculator and an average debt settlement timeline of fewer than 28 months, which is on the lower end of the industry average. This means that, at the end of the day, this company could help you get out of debt faster.

However, New Era Debt Solutions doesn't disclose its fees online. We suggest finding out exactly how much you would pay with New Era and comparing its fees to a few other debt relief companies before making a final decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Is New Era Debt Solutions Available?

New Era Debt Solutions offers services in most major cities and in 47 out of 50 United States. It does not operate in Iowa, Maine, and Oregon.

Is New Era Debt Solutions a Good Choice?

New Era Debt Solutions has excellent reviews, indicating that many customers are pleased with the debt relief services they receive. The company also has an average debt settlement time of fewer than 28 months, which is faster than the industry average. However, it does not disclose its fees online, which makes it difficult to judge how the cost of its services compares to other debt-relief options.

Is New Era Debt Solutions a Legitimate Company?

New Era Debt Solutions is a legitimate debt relief company that can help clients pay off or settle unsecured debts in three years or less. It has been in business since 1999 and has helped settle more than $250 million in debt.

What Are Alternatives to Working With New Era Debt Solutions?

Other debt relief companies similar to New Era Debt Solutions include National Debt Relief, CuraDebt, and DMB Financial. The best debt relief company for you may depend on the type of debt you are trying to pay off.

Methodology

To help us review debt relief companies, we compared more than 15 firms based on factors like customer service, cost and transparency, third-party rankings, accreditation, services offered, and more. 

We ranked each debt relief company in various categories with a star rating system. Overall, debt relief companies that scored highest were ones with transparent pricing, unique online features, and excellent user reviews. We also compared debt relief companies based on their standing with the American Fair Credit Council and the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators.

Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.
  1. New Era Debt Solutions. "Debt Settlement FAQs - New Era Debt Solutions."

  2. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Search the Consumer Complaint Database.”

  3. Federal Trade Commission. “Companies and People Banned From Debt Relief.”

  4. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "Recent Trends in Debt Settlement and Credit Counseling," Page 5.