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Debt glossary How we make money
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How we make money

We are paid by the firms we introduce people to. Here is exactly how that works, what it means for you, and why we tell you about free alternatives on every page.

Written by The My Debt Cleared editorial team Last reviewed 12 August 2026Next review 12 February 2027 Editorial policy

The short version

My Debt Cleared is a marketing introducer. We publish information about UK debt solutions. If you choose to, you can give us your details and we pass them to one FCA-authorised debt advice firm from our panel, who then contacts you. That firm pays us a fee for the introduction. You are never charged by us, for anything.

What we are paid, and when

We are paid a fixed fee per qualifying introduction — an introduction where the person we passed on is contactable, consented, and within the firm's scope. We are not paid more if you enter a particular solution, and we are not paid a percentage of anything you go on to pay a provider.

That structure matters. If we were paid more when people entered IVAs than when they entered Debt Management Plans, we would have a direct financial interest in steering you towards the more expensive option — and you would be right not to trust anything on this site.

The conflict we do have, stated plainly

We are paid when you make an enquiry, and not paid when you go to StepChange instead. That is a real commercial interest and we are not going to pretend otherwise.

What we do about it: we signpost free advice on every substantive page, including this one. We publish the costs and risks of every solution, including the ones our panel firms provide. We do not use write-off percentages, countdown timers, fake urgency or eligibility claims. And we tell you, repeatedly, that you never have to pay for debt advice.

What we do not do

  • We do not sell your details to multiple firms. One introduction, to one firm, with your explicit consent.
  • We do not buy lead lists or send unsolicited texts. Every enquiry is first-party and consented.
  • We do not give debt advice, assess your eligibility, or recommend a solution. We are not authorised to and we do not want to be mistaken for someone who is.
  • We do not accept payment for editorial placement. No firm can pay to be described more favourably in our guides.
  • We do not claim to be a charity, a government service, or affiliated with either.

Our panel

We work with a small number of FCA-authorised debt advice firms rather than a large panel, because a short list is one we can actually check. Every firm on it must hold the relevant FCA permissions, must be able to evidence its complaints record, and must confirm that it discusses free alternatives with the people we introduce.

Firm names and reference numbers are listed on our regulatory disclosures page.

Free advice, again

You can get free, impartial debt advice

You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation. We would rather you got good advice somewhere than bad advice from anyone.

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