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No advance fees — ever. It’s federal law, and it’s our policy. See how we charge

Steadwell Financial Counseling

Pricing

You pay after the work. Always.

Federal law — the Credit Repair Organizations Act — makes it illegal for a credit-repair company to charge before services are performed. We built our billing around that rule instead of around loopholes: flat monthly pricing, invoiced in arrears, cancel anytime.

Your rights under the Credit Repair Organizations Act

Your right

No advance fees

A credit-repair company may not collect payment before the promised services are performed. “Setup fees,” “file activation,” “first work fees” — all of it is the same illegal thing wearing different name tags.

Your right

A written contract + 3 days to cancel

Everything we’ll do, what it costs, and how long it realistically takes — in writing, before anything starts. You get an unconditional three business days after signing to walk away, no reason needed.

Your right

The truth in advertising

No guaranteed deletions, no promised score gains, no advice to lie or invent a “new credit identity.” Companies that pitch those aren’t bending the rules — they’re breaking the law at your expense.

Three services, flat and published

Credit repair

$89/month

Billed at the end of each month, for work already performed — advance fees for credit repair are illegal under federal law, and our setup fee is $0.

  • All three bureaus, plus direct disputes to the companies that reported the items
  • Individually drafted disputes with your documentation — never form-letter blasts
  • A written report every month: what was sent, what came back, what’s next
  • Goodwill and outdated-item requests where they’re honestly warranted
  • A rebuild plan you keep, whether you stay a client or not
  • Cancel anytime with a note — plus the federal 3-business-day right to cancel after signing

Honest footnote — No “pay per deletion” — that model rewards disputing everything, including the accurate items you’d just be re-buying next quarter.

Debt management plan

$40 setup + $30/month

Charged only after your creditors accept the plan. Waived entirely in documented hardship.

  • One consolidated monthly payment we distribute to your enrolled creditors
  • Negotiated concessions — typically lower interest and waived late fees on enrolled accounts
  • A dated payoff schedule, usually 3–5 years, recalculated whenever life changes
  • Quarterly check-ins and a running tally of interest saved
  • The honest caveat, in writing: enrolled cards close, and nonprofit agencies offer DMPs too — sometimes cheaper. We’ll tell you if that’s your better deal.

Honest footnote — A DMP pays your debt in full at better terms. If someone pitches it as “debt forgiveness,” they’re selling, not counseling.

Settlement negotiation

15% of documented savings

Charged per settlement, only after it’s executed and you approve it in writing. Never before — that’s federal law for a reason.

  • Negotiation on defaulted unsecured debts, one creditor at a time
  • Every offer presented to you with the full math: balance, offer, our fee, your net
  • The downsides review, signed before we start — score damage, possible 1099-C taxes, lawsuit risk
  • A dedicated savings target and timeline you can actually meet
  • A standing recommendation against settlement when a DMP or bankruptcy is honestly better

Honest footnote — Settlement is the most oversold product in this industry. Read our debt-relief page’s downsides table before you consider it.

Always free

The parts that cost nothing

Some of the most useful things we do have no invoice attached — because charging for them would put our incentives at war with your interests.

And a reminder that belongs on a pricing page: disputing credit-report errors is your legal right at no cost. The bureaus must investigate disputes you file yourself, and free reports are yours through the federally authorized annual-report source. If DIY is your best path, we’ll say so.

  • The 60–90 minute review itself — reports pulled, every line tagged, written plan in hand

  • The DIY dispute kit: letter templates, the documentation checklist, and the federal complaint routes

  • Referrals — to nonprofit counseling agencies, legal aid, or a bankruptcy attorney when that’s the honest answer

Leaving

Cancel with a note. That’s the policy.

Three business days after signing, cancellation is your unconditional federal right. After that, it’s simply our policy: email or call, owe only for months already worked, keep every report and plan we’ve written for you. No early-termination fee, no retention script, no “let me transfer you to the cancellation department.” Exit fees are how bad firms hold hostages — we’d rather be the firm you recommend after leaving.

Start with the free review

The review costs nothing. The plan is yours to keep.

If hiring us makes sense, you’ll know exactly what it costs and when — after each month’s work, never before. If it doesn’t, you’ll know that too, in writing, for free.

Free means free — no card, no contract, no “activation.” Charging before work is done is illegal, and we wouldn’t anyway.

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