Incharge Debt Solutions

InCharge Debt Solutions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency founded in 1997 and headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Over nearly three decades of operation, InCharge has served 3.2 million clients and facilitated $3.4 billion in debt repayment — making it one of the largest nonprofit credit counseling organizations in the United States. The agency holds an A+ BBB rating with accreditation since October 2002, and is certified by the NFCC (National Foundation for Credit Counseling), COA (Council on Accreditation), and HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) as an approved housing counseling intermediary.

InCharge's core service is its Debt Management Program (DMP), which consolidates multiple unsecured debt payments — primarily credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans — into a single monthly payment at reduced interest rates. The agency negotiates with thousands of creditors to lower average interest rates to approximately 8.4%, down from typical credit card rates of 20-30%. DMP enrollment costs average $52 for setup (state-dependent, range $50-75) and $32-34 per month — significantly less than for-profit debt relief companies that charge 15-25% of enrolled debt. Programs typically run 36-60 months. In 2021 alone, over 4,000 clients completed their DMPs and InCharge eliminated $117 million in credit card debt that year.

Beyond debt management, InCharge provides a comprehensive suite of financial services. All initial credit counseling sessions are completely free — certified counselors conduct confidential budget and debt reviews by phone or online with no appointment required. The agency is also a DOJ-approved provider of pre-bankruptcy counseling ($25) and pre-discharge debtor education ($15), having issued over one million bankruptcy education certificates since 2006 through its subsidiary personalfinanceeducation.com. HUD-certified housing counseling covers foreclosure prevention, rental assistance, reverse mortgage guidance, and first-time homebuyer education. The InCharge Education Foundation runs financial literacy programs for military members, college students, and low-income families.

InCharge's strengths are its longevity, nonprofit structure, and institutional credibility. With dual NFCC and FCAA membership, COA accreditation, and three consecutive Circle of Excellence awards from the National Business Research Institute, it operates at a higher certification standard than most peers. TrustPilot reviews average 4.5-4.7 out of 5 from over 2,200 verified reviews. However, the BBB customer review average is lower at 3.46 from just 13 reviews — a small, complaint-biased sample that doesn't reflect the broader client base. The agency has no CFPB enforcement actions, no FTC actions, and only 14 BBB complaints across its entire history against 3.2 million clients served — an extraordinarily low complaint rate.

The honest trade-off with any DMP is that it consolidates debt but does not reduce principal — clients repay the full balance at lower interest rates over an extended period. This is fundamentally different from debt relief companies that negotiate settlements for less than owed but cause severe credit damage in the process. InCharge's approach preserves credit history better while still saving thousands in interest. The main limitation is that in-person counseling is only available at the Orlando headquarters — all other clients are served by phone and online. Monthly DMP fees ($32-34) are slightly higher than some competitors like GreenPath ($28 average), though still far below the cost of for-profit alternatives.

Within the broader landscape of financial assistance, credit counseling represents one of the most cost-effective paths to financial stability. Unlike debt relief companies that negotiate reduced balances through settlement — which damages credit scores — nonprofit counselors focus on budgeting, education, and structured repayment. Consumers may also benefit from credit monitoring services to track their progress, or credit repair services if inaccurate items are affecting their reports. For those carrying high-interest balances, debt consolidation loans through personal loan lenders offer another way to reduce monthly payments while maintaining positive credit history.