CountryWide Review
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CountryWide Reviews

8
David Bufton

WRITTEN BY

David Bufton

Debt support approval guarantee
Debt support approval guarantee
About CountryWide

CountryWide Debt Relief specializes in helping customers manage their debts through debt consolidation and debt settlement. CountryWide was formed in 2008 and is based in Santa Ana, California. Since its formation, CountryWide has established a trustworthy, reliable reputation supported by its A+ Better Business Bureau rating. The company is also a member of the American Fair Credit Council, the leading body governing debt relief in the US.

CountryWide prides itself on giving each debt problem an individual solution and aims for customers to be debt free within 1 to 4 years. CountryWide is also known for its debt support approval guarantee, which ensures that you will be taken on as a client if certain conditions are met.

7.0

LS SCORE

8.0

CREDIBILITY

6.0

SUPPORT

8.0

ACCESSIBILITY

CountryWide Debt Relief Review

CountryWide offers three primary debt relief options. Debt Consolidation and Credit Card Consolidation are the first two steps to controlling your debt back to a manageable position. This involves taking all of your separate debts and bundling them into one new debt with a lower interest rate to save money on a monthly basis.

The final service offered is Debt Settlement, which should be considered a last resort as it severely negatively impacts your credit rating. Debt settlement involves not paying your creditors and instead saving your money while CountryWide negotiates a reduced debt payment on your behalf. This process can take many months, but on average, customers reduce their debt payable by 25%-40%.

CountryWide Debt Relief Highlights

LOAN REPAYMENT TERM

1 - 4 years

ORIGINATION FEE

None

PREPAYMENT FEE

None

OTHER FEES

Yes

SOFT CREDIT PULL

No

LENDER TYPE

Direct

Pros & Cons

  • Free no-obligation consultation
  • You are guaranteed to be accepted if you meet specific criteria
  • Fees are payable when CountryWide successfully delivers savings
  • Flexible approach to individual needs
  • The fee schedule is not published on the website
  • The top end of the APR band is very high at 35.89%
  • Will not work with people with debt under $10,000
  • Only available in certain states

Debt Consolidation Types

  • Debt relief consultation service
  • Debt consolidation loans

CountryWide Debt Relief Terms & Requirements

CountryWide Debt Relief is unique in that it will guarantee to take you on as a customer if you meet particular criteria. These criteria are:

  • Minimum debt owed of $10,000
  • Must be able to afford the greater of $250 or 1.5% of the total debt owed each month
  • You are not delinquent in your debt
  • You live in an approved state

CountryWide will work with you to try and get you out of debt in 1-4 years via an agreed payment plan or debt settlement strategy. CountryWide offers debt settlement funding at APRs ranging between 5.99% and 35.89%. The APR of 35.89% is very high and will be reserved for higher-risk clients with poor credit ratings. If you fall into this category, ensure that you shop around other debt relief providers due to the high APR rate. However, the lower end of the APR range at 5.99% is very reasonable.

CountryWide charges fees based on performance, so no fees are payable upfront. This, coupled with a free consultation session, means there is no downside in speaking with CountryWide to see how it could help your position.

The only issue we have with CountryWide is the lack of transparency around fees charged. CountryWide claims that customers save, on average, 25% to 40% of their original debt after their fees are accounted for. While not publicized, it is believed that CountryWide charges between 15% and 25% of the enrolled debt amount.

How to Apply

CountryWide Debt Relief prides itself on offering a service tailored to your needs. Due to this, the process can be started by completing an online form but will be followed by meetings and phone calls so that CountryWide can get an in-depth understanding of your position.

After selecting “See If You Qualify”, we had to answer a short series of simple questions to establish if we qualified for CountryWide’s services. We had to select our debt amount, payment status, and credit rating, and then we had to enter some basic personal information.

Step 1: See if you qualify for Debt Relief

Get approval for Debt Relief

Upon completing this basic information, we were notified that our application had been pre-approved and we should call up to discuss the options available.

We called the number provided and spoke with an advisor who took our basic details and set up a following meeting with a debt specialist. During this meeting, we laid out the details of our debts and provided correspondence to support the debt amounts and terms alongside approving CountryWide to run a credit check.

After this process, we were provided with the fee structure. Having agreed to this, CountryWide took our information and proposed a solution that would help to eliminate our debt.
The meetings with the CountryWide team were supportive, with the debt expert managing the meeting empathetically. We were impressed with the attitude and ability of CountryWide and would recommend the company to people looking for help managing their debt.

Qualification Requirements

CountryWide has simple qualification requirements guaranteeing you will be taken on as a client. These requirements are:

  • Minimum debt owed of $10,000
  • Must be able to afford the greater of $250 or 1.5% of the total debt owed each month
  • You are not delinquent in your debt
  • You live in an approved state

Required Information

Getting the process started requires very little information to be provided to CountryWide. We included details of our name, email address, phone number, and basic debt details to get the process started.

After speaking with the CountryWide team and wanting to move forward with them, we had to provide the following information:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Date of birth
  • Social Security Number
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Monthly income details and proof of income
  • Bank statements
  • Employment history
  • Housing status
  • Full details of all loans
  • Creditor statements

Application Steps & Time Frames

Engaging with CountryWide was very quick, with the form completion taking two minutes, and we were able to speak to a debt expert the very same day.

State Availability

Available - Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin.

Not Available - Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Privacy & Security

CountryWide DR does not collect personally identifiable information unless it is voluntarily provided through an online form or other methods of communication. The company vows not to give or sell any personally identifiable information to outside third parties without the customer’s consent unless required to do so by law.

All reasonable precautions to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, or alteration are assumed by CountryWide DR. At the time of writing, there are no media reports or complaints of any cyber breaches or hacks. As such, it is reasonable to assume at this time that personal information that is voluntarily provided is safe with CountryWide DR.

Customer Support

You can contact CountryWide Debt Relief customer support via phone or email. Plus, the company is also active on various social media channels. There is a separate phone number for clients and non-clients, and we called the non-client line to enquire about the services that CountryWide offers. Our call was answered with no wait time, and all questions were answered clearly. However, the same did not apply to our query about fees, which vary on a case-by-case basis.

Phone Support
(888) 402-9391
Mon-Fri
7am-6pm PST
Sat-Sun
Closed

In Conclusion

If you have over $10,000 of debt that you are struggling to manage, CountryWide Debt Relief could help with your problems. The company offers a free consultation, so there is no downside to speaking with its experts and seeing if CountryWide could improve your position through debt consolidation or debt resolution. Its excellent reputation in the marketplace gives further credibility to the services offered.

FAQ

What is CountryWide’s approval guarantee?
CountryWide guarantees to provide you services if you owe over $10,000 of debt, can afford a $250 payment or 1.5% of outstanding debt a month and are not delinquent in your debt.
How long does it take to get out of debt?
It depends on personal circumstances, but CountryWide strives to ensure you are debt free between one and four years.
Does debt settlement affect my credit rating?
Yes, the debt settlement process starts with you not paying your debts as they are negotiated with creditors, which will negatively impact your credit rating.

CountryWide Disclaimer

Debt Consolidation Program (“Program”), also known as Debt Relief or Debt Settlement serviced thru CountryWide Debt Relief (“CWDR”), refers to clients who have enrolled in a Program with CWDR. Whereas CWDR shall work aggressively to negotiate the Program Debt, not all debts can be negotiated, and not all creditors negotiate.

Individual Program results may vary and are based on but not limited to the ability of clients to save funds and successfully complete their Program terms and conditions, the amount and type of debts and creditors, the history of accounts, and clients’ financial standing.

Any specific or general reference to “debt free”, “savings”, “eliminate”, or “reduce” debts only refers to clients that have successfully enrolled and completed their Program resulting in all Program Debt being settled for less than the original balance enrolled.

Any figures given or statements made are examples of past performances and are not intended to guarantee future results. CWDR does not guarantee that debts successfully enrolled in the Program will be settled, lowered by a specific amount or percentage, determined within a particular period, or that clients will be “debt free” in a specific period.

All Program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, and not all applicants are approved.  The Program is not available in all states, and other restrictions apply. Read and understand all Program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating.

CWDR is not a law firm and does not provide any legal, bankruptcy, tax, or accounting advice or credit repair services, and anyone considering bankruptcy should consult a bankruptcy attorney. Please get in touch with a tax professional to discuss the potential tax consequences of the Program. Depending on your state, we may be able to recommend a Bankruptcy attorney. Depending on your state, we may be able to refer you to our lending partners for a Debt Consolidation Loan.

Annual Percentage Rates provided by our lending partners range from 5.99% to 35.89%. Please note that calls with the company may be recorded for quality assurance. Approval Guarantee requires a minimum of $10,000 total Credit Card Debt, the ability to afford a minimum monthly payment of 1.5% of the Total Credit Card Debt owed or $250, whichever is greater, and the creditors status of payment not to be more than 60 days delinquent

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WRITTEN BY

David Bufton

After graduating from the University of Warwick with a degree in accounting, David went on to become a fully certified accountant. Since then, he has amassed years of experience working in and writing for various sectors, including finance, gaming, and telecommunications. Now, he uses his extensive experience and knowledge in business and finance to deliver top-quality content.