How we work

The process, end to end

1. You read. Everything on this site is free and requires nothing from you.

2. If you want to, you answer eight questions about your circumstances. This is not an eligibility check and does not produce a recommendation. It narrows down what is worth reading and gives an adviser a starting point.

3. If you consent, we pass your details to one FCA-authorised debt advice firm. Not several.

4. That firm contacts you, normally within a working day, using only the contact methods you agreed to.

5. They carry out a full assessment — income, outgoings, assets, debts. This is the part that determines what you are actually eligible for, and it cannot be done by a website.

6. You decide. Or you do not. Nothing proceeds without your instruction.

Questions worth asking whoever calls you

• Are you FCA-authorised, and what is your firm reference number? You can check it free on the FCA Register.
• Would I be eligible for a Debt Relief Order? If yes, and they are proposing something that costs money instead, ask them to explain why in writing.
• What would a free Debt Management Plan through StepChange look like for me? A good adviser will engage with this.
• Of the monthly payment you are proposing, how much reaches my creditors in year one?
• What happens if I lose my job in year three?
• Will this appear on a public register?
• Can I have all of this in writing before I decide? The answer should always be yes.

Warning signs

What we cannot do

We cannot tell you whether you qualify for anything, negotiate with your creditors, stop enforcement action, apply for a Debt Relief Order on your behalf, or give you advice about your own circumstances. All of those require authorisation we do not hold, and any site claiming otherwise while operating as an introducer is misrepresenting itself.

Free advice