Individual Debt Settlement consultants can obtain thorough industry training and Certification as Certified Debt Specialists (CDS) (a UDMSA requirement) through The International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

Under the NAICS, (North American Industry Classification System) Establishments providing Debt Arbitration and conciliation services for individuals are classified in Industry 541990.



Lenders have been practicing debt settlement thousands of years However, the business of debt settlement became dominent in America during the late 1980s when bank deregulation, which loosened consumer lending practices, followed by an economic recession placed consumers in financial hardships.

Due to the rise of debt settlement as a debt relief alternative to bankruptcy, groups working in the industry established trade associations to help secure industry standards that will protect consumers against unethical business practices. These trade associations were also established to lobby state governments because many state legislatures are passing laws that restrict out-of-state companies from providing debt negotiation services to in-state residents. The two major trade associations are the United States Organization for Bankruptcy Alternatives and The Association of Settlement Companies. Both of these organizations publish on their websites information about debt settlement and the debt settlement industry.