DMPs offered by CCCSs are designed for people who can repay all their debts, plus some interest, in approximately 5 years with a moderate monthly payment. The monthly payment required to complete a credit counseling program may not be much lower than your current credit card payments and could be higher than that of a debt settlement program. A debt settlement program may be faster to complete than a DMP (typically 2 to 5 years for debt settlement compared to 5 years for a DMP).