After retiring early due to a disability, Marilyn (a former court reporter in Corfu, New York) got into debt renovating her childhood home to make it safe for her elderly mother and uncle. When they passed, she struggled to take care of the home and keep up with her debt on her limited income.
Enrolled Debt: $30,529
Started: December 2023
Monthly Savings: $454 (⏷ 49%)
How Marilyn Got Into Debt
Marilyn’s financial challenges began when a connective tissue disease forced her to retire early and go on disability income. Around the same time, she decided to move back into her childhood home in New York to be with her elderly mother and uncle. Realizing that the home needed extensive repairs to be safe, she took out a loan for renovations.
After her relatives passed away, Marilyn realized she couldn’t afford her mortgage and her debt payments on her fixed income.
Altogether she had accumulated over $30,000 in debt. Her monthly debt payments were over $900, which was more than half of her disability check and didn’t leave enough left over to pay her mortgage and other living expenses.
“Making minimum payments was crippling me. I couldn’t go grocery shopping because I was afraid I was going to spend too much. I stopped going to the movies. I stopped going places in my car because oh my gosh, I’d have to buy gas. My life stopped. I felt completely paralyzed.”
Asking For Help When Making Minimum Payments Didn’t Work
Initially, Marilyn felt a strong personal responsibility to overcome her debt by aggressively budgeting and cutting all non-essential spending. But the burden was just too great. Her “aha” moment came when she realized that without help, there was a chance she’d lose everything she had worked so hard for.
“Knew it was time to get help. When I realized that by myself with no other help, I was going to end up with nothing to leave my son. I was going to lose my house.”
Compassionate Support from Accredited Debt Relief
Accredited Debt Relief made Marilyn feel seen and heard in a way that was really important to her. Her Consolidation Specialist helped her understand her options and gave her a realistic view of her timelines. Having a solid plan in place and people to support her along the way, relieved her anxiety.
“Accredited Debt Relief made me feel like there was an answer. Finally, there was something that I could participate in, but I wasn’t doing it alone. I was going to have help. It was the first time that I felt like somebody actually cared enough about my story and believed me and didn’t think I was a bad person, didn’t think that I was my debt, that I was a real person who needed help, and I am so grateful.”
Taking Decades Off Her Debt Repayment Timeline
Now that Marilyn is saving more than $450 each month on her enrolled debts, she is finally able to plan for the future. That’s a big change from where she was before. When she was making minimum payments it could have taken her 24 years and cost her $79,000+* in interest to pay off her debt. Now, her debt-free timeline is 55 months, so she’ll be debt-free in a few years instead of decades.
About This Testimonial
Marilyn is a real client who was compensated for sharing her story with us. She saved 49% on her eligible monthly payments. We determined her monthly savings by subtracting her program payment from her self-reported payments or tradeline minimums.
*Assumes an APR of 20% and 2.75% minimum payment.