Get out of debt

Is InCharge Debt Solutions legit?

★★★★★4.0 · our rating · illustrative

The short answer

Yes — InCharge is an established 501(c)(3) nonprofit and NFCC member.

The first counseling session is advice-only and comes at no cost to you.
A debt-management plan (DMP) has a small setup and monthly fee, waivable for hardship.
It's legitimate and low-cost — the fees are disclosed and state-capped.
The catch: a DMP is a 3–5 year commitment that closes the enrolled cards.

Written by Dana Acosta

Consumer-credit writer · 9 yrs

✓ Reviewed by M. Reyes, AFC®

Last reviewed Jun 2026

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Is InCharge a real agency?

Yes. InCharge Debt Solutions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). It has counseled people for decades over the phone and online, and it also handles bankruptcy pre-filing counseling and housing counseling.

Here's how a nonprofit counselor gets paid. Your first session is advice-only and costs you nothing. If you enroll in a DMP, the agency also collects a share from your creditors for routing your payments. That's normal for the model — but it's why the counselor's own math matters, which we get to below.

What InCharge costs

First counseling session

advice-only, no cost

$0–75

One-time DMP setup fee

state-capped

$25–50

Monthly DMP fee

hardship waivers apply

Illustrative — typical fees; caps and waivers vary by state. What counseling really costs →

What the plan does, and what it closes

On a DMP, you make one monthly payment to InCharge and it pays your enrolled creditors. Many creditors drop the rate on those balances, so more of each dollar hits the amount you borrowed. Most plans run 3 to 5 years.

The trade is real: the cards you enroll get closed while you're on the plan. Rate concessions aren't set by InCharge either — they depend on what each creditor agrees to. And most services run by phone or online, not in person.

✓ InCharge fits if

You can afford one steady monthly payment for the plan's length.
You want a nonprofit, NFCC-member agency with disclosed fees.
Closing the enrolled cards for a few years is a trade you'll accept.

✕ Skip it if

You can't cover the single monthly payment on a tight month.
The math doesn't close even with lower rates over 3–5 years.
You need to keep the enrolled cards open right now.

⚠ The catch

InCharge can also do the bankruptcy pre-filing counseling. If a counselor says a DMP won't close the math on your debt, take that signal seriously.

That's the moment to weigh bankruptcy or debt settlement instead — a plan you can't finish costs more than one you never start.