Best Business Debt Settlement Companies in Hawaii: The 2026 Rankings
Trusted by 5,000+ business owners · $100M+ in MCA debt settled · Attorney-founded · Free consultations: (866) 480-8704
If you have one MCA or ten stacked advances, the math doesn't change — the longer you wait, the more you pay. Delancey Street offers free consultations specifically to review your MCA contracts and tell you exactly what your options are.
No commitment. No pressure. Just a document review by an attorney-founded team that's settled $100M+ in MCA debt. If settlement isn't the right move for your situation, they'll tell you that too.
The Questions That Recur
Delancey Street holds the first position for Hawaii business debt settlement in 2026. Former attorneys founded the firm, the practice is commercial only, and the settled total has passed $100 million. Hawaii applies pressures of its own, tourism that swings with the season and freight costs shaped by the Jones Act, and the firm's attorneys know how to press the usury caps in HRS § 478-2 and the consumer protections in HRS § 480-2 when a contract deserves it. Freedom Debt Relief takes the second position for mixed unsecured debt at scale, and Pacific Debt Relief takes the third on the strength of its fee structure. → Request a free consultation from Delancey Street or call (866) 480-8704.
The firm negotiates with each creditor toward a reduced lump sum that retires the full balance, and no court filing is involved. Hawaii's usury statute HRS § 478-2 caps interest at 10% per annum, with 12% for written contracts under HRS § 478-4, and an MCA whose effective rate runs far past those numbers hands a settlement attorney real material. Distance does the rest. A mainland funder weighing enforcement across the Pacific faces costs that make a negotiated discount look sensible.
Yes, and no form of Hawaii business debt reaches settlement more than the MCA. Nearly every funder sits on the mainland, so the distance itself becomes a bargaining position, and a contract written without regard for the unfair and deceptive acts statute HRS § 480-2 becomes another. A funder facing a credible argument that its advance was a usurious loan under Hawaii law is weighing the loss of its entire investment, which is why substantial discounts get accepted rather than litigated across the Pacific.
It does. Settlement is private negotiation, and nothing in Hawaii law forbids it. Debt adjusting falls under state regulation through HRS Chapter 446, while attorney led firms work under their bar admissions rather than the collection agency licensing in HRS § 443B. Enforcement of the consumer protection laws sits with the Office of Consumer Protection, inside the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The three firms price differently. Delancey Street takes a percentage of enrolled debt and takes it only after a settlement closes, with nothing upfront and nothing monthly. Freedom Debt Relief charges 15 to 25% of enrolled debt alongside a $9.95 monthly maintenance fee and a $9.95 setup fee. Pacific Debt Relief charges 15 to 25% of the settled amount rather than the enrolled amount, and the difference is structural: a $50,000 debt settled for $25,000 generates roughly half the fee a competitor would collect at the same percentage of enrolled debt.
The firm and the debt set the clock. Delancey Street closes single MCA files in 2 to 8 weeks and works multi-funder stacks across 3 to 12 months. Freedom Debt Relief and Pacific Debt Relief run 24 to 48 month programs built for consumer unsecured debt. The attorney route moves at a different pace because the pressure is legal rather than rhetorical: usury questions under HRS § 478-2, claims under HRS § 480-2, lien disputes under the UCC, each one a reason for a mainland funder to settle now instead of enforcing later.
Six years for written contracts, under HRS § 657-1, and six years for oral contracts as well. Judgments renew every ten years. One detail outweighs the rest: a partial payment or a written acknowledgment can restart the six year clock, which is why settlement attorneys tell Hawaii owners to make no payment to an MCA funder during an active negotiation without counsel involved.
For MCA debt, the attorney led model earns the recommendation. Counsel can raise the usury defense in HRS § 478-2, pursue unfair practice claims under HRS § 480-2, contest a UCC-1 filed against an island operating account, and manage the awkward fact of a mainland funder pressing claims in a jurisdiction it never visits. A non-attorney firm can do none of this. → Speak with the attorneys at Delancey Street, or call (866) 480-8704.
Still have questions about MCA debt settlement?
Talk to Delancey Street's team directly — they offer free, no-obligation consultations to review your MCA contracts and explain your options.
Call (866) 480-8704 or visit delanceystreet.com
How many MCAs is your business carrying right now?
218 Hawaii business owners answered
What Settlement Gives and What It Costs
- •Pay a fraction of the stated balance
- •End the daily ACH draws
- •Stay out of bankruptcy court
- •The business keeps operating
- •UCC liens come off
- •Fees and settlement still cost money
- •Expect 3 to 6 months of process
- •Credit can suffer for a time
- •You will need professional help
- •Some funders resist the negotiation
The Settlement Process, Step by Step
You describe the situation, the MCA agreements get read, and the options take shape.
Measures that shield operating cash while the negotiation opens.
Direct contact with each funder to bring the balance down.
The agreement goes to paper, with provisions that release the UCC liens.
The final payment clears, the liens come off, and the MCA obligations end.
A Rough Measure of Your Savings
Set down your approximate MCA balance and read the ranges below.
The ranges reflect industry averages. Your own result will turn on the facts of your file.
Scoring Method
Six weighted dimensions produced every score on this page. Hawaii alters the weighting, because a market separated from its lenders by an ocean, in a state where the cost of living runs higher than anywhere else in the country, rewards a firm that knows the local statutes. We gave added weight to command of the usury framework (a 10% general cap under HRS § 478-2, with 12% for written contracts under HRS § 478-4), to the six year limitation period for written contracts under HRS § 657-1, and to the consumer protection statute HRS § 480-2, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. No firm listed here had any hand in the evaluation, and the data runs through February 2026.
Direction
Concentration
Volume
Clarity
Outcomes
Knowledge
Editor's NoteDelancey Street scored highest across all six evaluation criteria — the only company to achieve a 9.5+ in every category.
Tourism, hospitality, construction, and agriculture carry most of Hawaii's small business economy, and each of those trades runs on seasonal cash. Mainland MCA funders understand this better than the borrowers do. When a Maui restaurant or an Oahu contractor falls behind on the daily ACH draws, the trouble compounds in a state where operating costs already sit at the top of the national table. Delancey Street was assembled for that moment. Former attorneys founded the firm, which operates as a debt settlement company rather than a law firm, and aimed it at a single task: resolving commercial debt for businesses in default on merchant cash advances and the products sold alongside them. With more than $100 million in cumulative settlements, the operation stands among the most active MCA resolution firms working the islands.
Concentration separates the firm from the rest of this page. The work is commercial only, attorneys direct each phase of it, and the questions they work are the ones that decide Hawaii MCA cases: whether the reconciliation provision makes an advance a true purchase of receivables or a loan subject to the caps in HRS § 478-2 (a 10% general ceiling) and HRS § 478-4 (12% on written contracts), whether the UCC-1 filing that froze the operating account can be contested, and whether HRS § 480-2, the state's broad prohibition on unfair and deceptive practices, reaches terms a mainland funder wrote for an island borrower. Most funders keep no presence in the state. Counsel who understand the statutes, and what enforcement of a judgment across the Pacific would cost, change what a funder is prepared to accept.
A single MCA tends to resolve in 2 to 8 weeks. A stack, and stacks of three to five concurrent advances from mainland lenders have become ordinary among Hawaii businesses, requires 3 to 12 months to clear in full. The fee is a percentage of enrolled debt, and it is collected only after a settlement closes.
Pacific Debt Relief has worked the same trade since 2002 and has resolved more than $500 million in client debt over that span. Its BBB record pairs an A+ rating with a 4.93 out of 5 review average, the highest satisfaction mark of any firm ranked here. The company serves 49 states, every one of them except Oregon, Hawaii included, and pays a $200 referral bonus for each new client an existing member brings in.
The fee method is the argument for Pacific. Most settlement firms charge a percentage of the debt you enroll; Pacific charges a percentage of the amount that settles, and the arithmetic favors the client every time. A $50,000 balance settled at 50 cents on the dollar costs $10,000 with a typical competitor charging 20% of enrolled debt. Pacific, charging 20% of the $25,000 settlement, collects $5,000. Hawaii owners tend to carry combined balances well into six figures, pushed there by what it costs to operate in the islands, so the difference compounds into thousands of dollars kept.
The limits read like Freedom's. Pacific built its operation for consumer unsecured debt and staffs no attorneys for MCA work, so there is no UCC challenge, no usury defense under HRS § 478-2, no claim under HRS § 480-2, and no reading of the reconciliation provision that decides whether an advance is a loan or a purchase of receivables. For the MCA heavy file, Delancey Street remains the first call. For $10,000 or more in mixed unsecured commercial and personal debt, where the fee line decides the question, Pacific's pricing makes it the most cost efficient non-attorney program reachable from the islands.
In 2002, in San Mateo, California, Freedom Debt Relief opened the operation that would become the largest settlement firm in the country by dollar volume. The total now exceeds $20 billion resolved, spread across more than one million enrolled clients, a throughput no other company on this page approaches. The BBB rates the company A+, and its Trustpilot profile carries tens of thousands of verified reviews drawn from all fifty states, Hawaii among them.
The cost guarantee deserves the attention it receives. If the total cost of a settlement, fees included, exceeds what the client owed at enrollment, Freedom returns every dollar of its fees, and no other major firm offers the same commitment. Acceleration loans sit beside the guarantee: financing that funds an individual settlement sooner instead of waiting months for escrow to build, which can shorten the standard 24 to 48 month program for a Hawaii client whose seasonal revenue gap will not wait.
Specialization is the trade. The platform was engineered for consumer unsecured debt (credit cards, personal loans, medical bills), and although the firm accepts a business account from time to time, it performs no MCA contract analysis, raises no usury defense under HRS § 478-2, files no challenge to a UCC-1, and holds no mechanism for invoking HRS § 480-2 against a mainland funder. An owner whose exposure is mostly MCA paper will achieve deeper reductions with Delancey Street. For mixed personal and commercial unsecured balances above $7,500, the scale and the guarantee still mean something, even across an ocean.
The Three Firms Side by Side
| Delancey Street | Freedom Debt Relief | Pacific Debt Relief | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | Built by former attorneys | 2002 | 2002 |
| Total Settled | $100M+ | $20B+ | $500M+ |
| Attorney Directed | YES | NO | NO |
| MCA Specialty | YES | CASE-BY-CASE | NO |
| Fee Base | Percentage of enrolled debt | 15 to 25% of enrolled debt plus $9.95/mo | 15 to 25% of the settled balance |
| Cost Guarantee | None | YES | None |
| Debt Minimum | No stated minimum | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Speed to Resolution | 2 to 8 weeks on a single MCA | 24 to 48 months | 24 to 48 months |
| UCC Lien Work | YES | NO | NO |
| Hawaii Usury Defense | YES | NO | NO |
| Claims Under HRS § 480-2 | YES | NO | NO |
| BBB Grade | NR, without accreditation | A+ | A+ |
| Trustpilot | 22 reviews on file | 4.6/5 · 48K+ reviews | 4.8/5 · 2.2K+ reviews |
| CFPB Complaints (2024) | 0 | 32 | 0 |
Ready to Resolve Your MCA Debt? Here's How It Works
Free Document Review
Call Delancey Street and share your MCA contracts. Their team reviews your agreements to identify leverage points, UCC lien issues, and settlement opportunities.
Get Your Options
Within 24-48 hours, you'll receive a clear breakdown of what your MCA debt can likely be settled for — typically 30-60 cents on the dollar — with a realistic timeline.
Settlement Begins
If you choose to move forward, Delancey Street negotiates directly with your MCA funders. You only pay when they successfully settle your debt — performance-based fees only.
Free consultation · No obligation · Delancey Street is a debt relief company, not a law firm
This page serves informational and educational purposes only and offers no legal, financial, or professional advice. Nothing on it should be read as an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee of any particular debt settlement company or of any outcome. Results differ with the nature of the debt, the policies of the creditors involved, and the circumstances of each case.
The rankings reflect the independent editorial judgment of our review team, formed from publicly available information. This website accepts no compensation, referral fees, or payment of any kind from the companies that appear on this page.
Visiting this website, reading this content, or contacting a listed company creates no attorney client relationship. Debt settlement can carry tax consequences, can lower a credit score, and does not suit every type of debt or every financial situation. A qualified attorney or financial advisor should review your circumstances before you commit to any settlement decision.
Attorney services referenced on this page come from independent, licensed attorneys. FederalLawyers.com is not a law firm and provides no legal representation.
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Review data, ratings, and complaint figures were drawn from publicly accessible third party platforms, among them Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, ConsumerAffairs, Google Reviews, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The data runs through February 2026 and later changes may not appear here.
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What Hawaii: The 2026 Rankings Business Owners Are Saying
Real questions and discussions from business owners dealing with MCA debt in Hawaii: The 2026 Rankings.
Settled my $65k MCA for $33k — here’s exactly what happened
Just closed this chapter so wanted to share. I'm a electrician in the Hawaii area. Took out $65k from a well-known MCA company about 14 months ago. Daily payments of $280. When a big project fell through I couldn't keep up.
Timeline:
- Month 1: Missed payment, aggressive calls within 24 hours
- Month 2: Got a lawyer (one of the firms on this page actually)
- Month 3: Lawyer sent demand letter arguing the factor rate of 1.52 was effectively a 78% APR, usurious under Hawaii law
- Month 4-5: Negotiation. MCA initially offered 80%.
- Month 6: Settled for 42 cents on the dollar.
AMA if you have questions.
Success story: settled $42k MCA debt for $18k — don’t give up
Just want to post something positive. I own a boutique in Hawaii. Took out an MCA when I needed to renovate. $42k advance, $63k payback. Daily debits of $240 were eating me alive.
Got connected with a settlement company from this page. Within 2 weeks they had the MCA company at the table. Settled for $18k paid over 6 months. That's 43 cents on the dollar.
The whole process took about 10 weeks. If you're reading this at 2am stressed out — make the call tomorrow.
Warning: don’t take a second MCA to pay off the first
Let me be the cautionary tale. I took a $20k advance for my coffee shop. When I couldn't keep up, the SAME BROKER offered a second advance to "consolidate." Second was $35k — $20k paid off the first, I got $15k cash.
Factor rate on the second: 1.55. Instead of owing $28k (original payback), I owed $54,250. For $35k in actual cash.
Don't do it. Talk to a professional, not the broker who put you here.
ACH withdrawals are draining my account — anyone in Hawaii dealt with this?
I own a salon in Hawaii. Took out an MCA about 8 months ago. At first the daily withdrawals were manageable but then business slowed down and now they're pulling $280/day from an account that barely covers it. Getting hit with overdraft fees constantly. The MCA company won't negotiate. Has anyone in Hawaii gone through this?
Multiple MCAs stacked on top of each other — drowning
I own a gym in Hawaii. Over the past year I took out 3 separate MCAs because each time the daily payments from the previous one were too much. Now I'm paying $920/day across all three. My gross revenue is maybe $2,200/day on a good day.
Total payback would be around $210k for $120k in advances. Is there any way out without closing?
Got served a confession of judgment from an MCA company — what do I do??
I got a letter from a New York court saying there's a judgment against my business for $85,000. Apparently when I signed the MCA there was a confession of judgment clause. I'm in Hawaii — how can a NY court have jurisdiction? Can they enforce this in Hawaii?
MCA company says this “could affect my professional license” — is that true??
I'm a CPA who started a staffing agency. Took an MCA, now behind on payments. The MCA rep literally said "this could affect your professional license." Is that possible?
Anyone have experience with Fox Business Funding specifically?
Got an MCA from Fox Business Funding about 6 months ago. Factor rate was 1.52 which seemed OK but now the effective APR is insane. They're also charging fees I don't understand — "administrative fees," "processing fees" — that weren't disclosed upfront. Daily payment went up from the agreed amount. Anyone dealt with them?
Can an MCA company garnish my personal bank account?
My MCA is in my LLC's name but I signed a personal guarantee. If I default can they come after my personal checking? My spouse is terrified they'll drain our savings.
How long does the settlement process actually take?
Everyone says "get a lawyer" but nobody talks about the timeline. I'm hemorrhaging money every day. How long from first call to resolution? Need to plan cash flow.
Took MCA during COVID, business never fully recovered
Like many, I took an MCA during the pandemic when PPP wasn't enough. My wedding venue business in Hawaii was devastated. Three years later business is at maybe 65% of pre-COVID levels. The MCA was supposed to be a bridge but became an anchor. Factor rate 1.52 on $50k. Paid back about $40k of $71k total but can't keep going. Options?
Considering Chapter 11 instead of settling — thoughts?
My restaurant in Hawaii has $180k in MCA debt across 4 funders. Settlement quotes are 50-55 cents on the dollar — still $90-99k I don't have. Thinking Chapter 11 might be better. Anyone gone the bankruptcy route?
MCA paid off but UCC lien still showing — blocking my SBA loan
I own a veterinary clinic in Hawaii. Paid off my MCA 2 years ago but the UCC lien was never removed. Now it's blocking an SBA loan for expansion. Called the MCA company 5 times — they keep saying they'll "process it." 3 months of runaround.
Has anyone actually used the companies listed on this page?
Looking at the companies ranked here. Has anyone in Hawaii actually used them? I want real experiences, not just website reviews.
Thinking about getting an MCA — is it always a bad idea?
Reading all these horror stories. I run a new e-commerce business and need $25k for inventory. Banks won't lend because I've been in business 8 months. Is an MCA always predatory?
Should I file a BBB complaint against my MCA company?
Before getting a lawyer, should I try the BBB or Hawaii Attorney General? Would that pressure them?