How one woman eliminated $22,000 in credit card debt after a medical emergency

Life has a way of throwing financial curveballs, and even the most responsible families can find themselves overwhelmed by mounting debt. But as Ashley's story shows, financial hardship isn’t the end of the road. By surrounding herself with the right support system and through sheer determination, Ashley transformed her family's financial situation and found a renewed sense of confidence. 

The costs of raising a family 

With five daughters in the household—including one with severe developmental disabilities and another who is adopted—expenses naturally pile up. Like many families, Ashley’s was just one major event from having their finances turned upside down.

A few years ago, it happened. Ashley was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. She entered several months of chemotherapy treatments and other medical care, and took a pause from working her job as an executive admin for the Oklahoma Public School District.

Insurance covered her medical treatments, but the lack of pay caused a big shift in the family finances. Expenses and credit card debt started to mount—and so did the stress. Before she knew it, Ashley's credit card debt passed the $20,000 mark. The feeling of being indebted to creditors loomed over her, and the anxiety was all-consuming. 

Family and financial responsibilities compounded until Ashley felt like she hit a breaking point.

A road to relief: debt resolution

After seeing an Achieve commercial, Ashley called to get more information about her options. When she spoke with an Achieve debt consultant, she felt her stress and anxiety lighten.

"They were so helpful and so understanding and nonjudgmental,” Ashley says. The Achieve consultant spoke with her in a positive, supporting way, reassuring her that debt happens sometimes, and that Ashley wasn’t a bad person because of it. “It wasn’t about what I had done,” Ashley says. The conversation made her wish that she had called sooner. 

After discussing the different debt solutions that could work for her situation, Ashley chose  Achieve Resolution. 

Achieve’s professional debt experts worked with Ashley and her husband to determine how much they could afford to pay each month. Ashley began making a single affordable monthly payment into a dedicated account. 

"It was another weight lifted off, because I wasn't trying to pay off each card anymore," says Ashley. She felt a great deal of relief to have a single monthly debt payment instead of many. "I just knew that was the only bill I had coming." 

Accelerated relief 

After participating in Achieve Resolution and making on-time payments for a few months, Ashley was invited to apply for an Achieve Acceleration Loan. The way this invitation-only loan works is that Achieve negotiates settlements with all of the  remaining creditors enrolled in the member’s debt resolution program. The member still gets to review and approve the terms of every agreement. Once Ashley approved each settlement, Achieve loaned her the amount she needed to settle all her remaining enrolled debt. 

The Achieve Acceleration Loan is reported to the credit bureaus as an installment loan, so making consistent on time payments could help put Ashley in a better financial position.

“When they called and said, 'Hey, you know, because you've done a great job, you're eligible for this,' that's something that I didn't think was going to be a possibility." 

Ashley was thrilled to have her credit card accounts resolved and behind her, instead of watching them linger for years as she built up funds to offer her creditors. "We were able to do it in one shot with Achieve." 

Fresh possibilities for a better future 

These days, Ashley is confident that she and her husband are capable of tackling anything life sends their way, and that Achieve is by her side with options. 

For example, a few months later, when one of her daughters got married, Ashley wasn’t sure how she’d be able to offer to help pay for the special day. She didn't want to put a strain on her savings, and she didn’t want to turn to credit cards. So she called Achieve and qualified for a personal loan. Ashley says that her relationship with Achieve and her good payment history helped her.

Ashley was so impressed with Achieve that she has referred family members to explore their options to release financial stress. 

Ashley says that because of Achieve, she was able to deal with her debt, turn things around, and serve her family and friends better. Her experience made her feel like she could enjoy her life. "It felt like being able to breathe." 

*Actual member of Achieve. Member’s endorsement is a paid testimonial. Individual results are not typical and will vary.