Part of the Credit Counseling Hub: This post is one piece of my complete Credit Counseling: The Complete Guide — what a DMP costs, who it helps, the agency financial stability risk, and how to verify any agency before enrolling.
Quick Answer: InCharge Debt Solutions is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) credit counseling agency offering debt management plans, housing counseling, and financial education.
Before You Read This: I’m not rendering a verdict on InCharge Debt Solutions. This is a research guide — I’m showing you where to look so you can reach your own conclusions.
Post concerns in the comments. Evaluating their contract? Use my free Contract Decoder tool.
If you represent InCharge Debt Solutions and something here is inaccurate, contact me promptly.
Inside information? Post it publicly in the comments with your name attached.
The most valuable thing here may be the comments below. Read them and add your own.
Who Is InCharge Debt Solutions?
An educated consumer is our best customer.— Sy Syms
New here? My Ultimate Consumer Guide to Checking Out a Debt Relief Company walks through vetting any company before signing.
InCharge Debt Solutions is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) credit counseling organization. Rather than repeat what they say, I’d encourage you to read their website directly at incharge.org.
Step 1: Check Their Credentials
- BBB Profile: Better Business Bureau profile for InCharge Debt Solutions — rating, complaint history, and responses.
- NFCC Membership: Search the NFCC member directory — the National Foundation for Credit Counseling is the leading professional association for nonprofit credit counselors.
- COA Accreditation: Council on Accreditation (COA) — independent review of agency practices and governance standards.
- State Licensing: Credit counseling agencies are licensed at the state level. Confirm InCharge is licensed in your state before enrolling.
- NMLS: NMLS Consumer Access for housing counselor licensing where applicable.
A Note on BBB Grades: Read the actual complaint text — that’s more useful than the letter grade.
Step 2: Check Consumer Complaints
Search InCharge Debt Solutions’ complaint history in the CFPB database →
- What types of complaints appear most often?
- How did the company respond — were issues resolved or denied?
- Are there recurring patterns in the complaint narratives?
- Put complaint volume in context relative to how many consumers they serve.
Step 3: Read Their Trustpilot Reviews
Find InCharge Debt Solutions’ Trustpilot reviews here:
- Are 5-star reviews about enrollment experience or actual debt outcomes?
- 2- and 3-star reviews tend to be most candid about how plans actually worked
- How does the organization respond to complaints about creditor negotiations?
- Look for accounts from people who completed their DMP — not just started one
Step 4: Read Their IRS Form 990
As a nonprofit, InCharge Debt Solutions files an annual IRS Form 990 — publicly available and worth reading carefully.
Find InCharge Debt Solutions’ 990 filings on ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer →
- Executive compensation — is it proportionate to the organization’s size and revenue?
- Revenue vs. expenses — is the organization running surpluses or deficits year over year?
- Program service revenue — what share comes from consumer fees vs. grants and creditor fair-share payments?
- Mission alignment — do IRS program descriptions match what they publicly claim to do?
- Conflict of interest policy — does it exist and is it enforced?
Why This Matters: Nonprofit status means no corporate income taxes — it doesn’t automatically mean the organization is better or more trustworthy than a for-profit. The 990 shows who gets paid, where the money goes, and how the organization is actually governed.
Step 5: Ask the Right Questions Before You Enroll
Before signing anything: Run the contract through my Contract Decoder tool first.
- What is the monthly fee for the debt management plan, and how is it structured?
- Are there setup fees, and what happens if I need to cancel or pause the plan?
- Which of my specific creditors have you worked with, and what interest rate concessions should I expect?
- What happens if I miss a monthly payment — does the plan restart or terminate?
- Will my creditors close my accounts when I enroll?
- How many months will the plan take based on my actual balances and projected payments?
Before You Commit: Run your situation through my Find Your Path tool to see all the options available to you — not just one.
Key Takeaways
- Verify NFCC membership and COA accreditation — these are the key credentials for nonprofit credit counselors
- CFPB complaints: look for patterns more than raw numbers
- Trustpilot: enrollment reviews vs. actual plan completion reviews tell very different stories
- Read the IRS Form 990 — nonprofit status doesn’t guarantee sound practices
- Get all fee details and creditor concessions confirmed in writing before enrolling
- Read the comments below — often the most useful information on this page
Want the full research playbook? My Ultimate Consumer Guide to Checking Out a Debt Relief Company covers every tool and source in this guide — plus detailed walkthroughs for reading BBB profiles, spotting Trustpilot red flags, and searching federal court records on CourtListener.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is InCharge Debt Solutions a nonprofit?
Yes — InCharge Debt Solutions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Nonprofit status means no corporate income taxes. It doesn’t automatically make an organization more trustworthy than a for-profit. Review their Form 990 to see how they actually operate.
How do I file a complaint against InCharge Debt Solutions?
File with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, your state attorney general’s office, and the BBB. If you believe they violated credit counseling regulations, contact your state’s financial regulatory agency as well.
Is InCharge Debt Solutions accredited?
Check current accreditation status directly through the NFCC member directory and the Council on Accreditation (COA) — accreditation status can change and should always be verified directly, not assumed.
What does InCharge Debt Solutions do?
InCharge Debt Solutions offers credit counseling and debt management plans (DMPs), in which the agency negotiates with creditors for reduced interest rates and you make one monthly payment to InCharge, which distributes it to your creditors. They also provide housing counseling, student loan counseling, and financial education services.
Should I use InCharge Debt Solutions?
That depends entirely on your situation. A debt management plan is the right tool for some people and the wrong one for others. Run your circumstances through my Find Your Path tool before making any commitment.
Share Your Experience with InCharge Debt Solutions
Have you worked with InCharge Debt Solutions? Share your experience in the comments — what worked, what didn’t, and how the process compared to what you were told upfront.
To share: Scroll to the bottom — the comments box is there.
Before You Sign Anything: Run any debt relief contract through the free Contract Decoder to spot hidden fees and unfair terms. Check the company’s complaint history with the Scam-O-Meter.
Compare Your Real Options: Most debt relief companies won’t tell you about all your options — especially the ones they can’t profit from. Credit counseling has a 21-27% completion rate. Settlement resolves about 1% of enrolled debts fully. Bankruptcy has a 95% discharge rate — and protects your retirement. Take the Find Your Path quiz for a recommendation based on your actual numbers.
Browse all Credit Counseling & Debt Management reviews, or see the full Company Reviews directory.
