Credit Counseling programs typically last about five years. We usually design Debt Settlement programs estimated at somewhere between 24 to 48 months, but they can be shorter or longer depending on how much you can afford monthly. The programs can be longer or shorter than estimated, depending on final settlement amounts. If you only make the minimum payments on your credit cards, you could be in debt for the next 10 to 20 years. If you only make minimum payments and don’t make any more charges on your credit cards, it could still cost you 2x, 3x, or even 4X as much as you originally borrowed.