IVA & Debt Management Advice
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010Since its conception in the 1980s, an individual voluntary arrangement has been an increasingly popular option for individuals that have a debt mountain that they are finding difficult to climb. Initially, IVAs were set up to help businesses facing bankruptcy but they became popular with members of the public once their advantages became more widely known. To avoid falling into bankruptcy, borrowers can set up an individual voluntary arrangement with their creditor(s). The agreement consists of organizing the return payment either over time or immediately of the owed sum in return for the debt to be written off. Payments can be made either in one lump sum or monthly at a minimum of around $300 a month for a period of a maximum of five years. The benefits for taking up an individual voluntary arrangement with your creditors are vast. The reason more than 6000 people take up IVAs with their creditors every year is down to: protection against court action from your creditors, frozen interest and late payment fees, and a repaired credit rating once your debt is written off. An IVA can be used to reduce all your unsecured debts. This includes things such as store cards, catalogues, credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans and business loans. This is no doubt that IVAs can work well, and few people would dismiss an option that could cut their debt by up to 75%, but they are not always the solution for everyone. For example, you have to be able to afford a lump sum payment and / or at least $300 a month. Lots of people faced with bankruptcy just can not afford that. An IVA must be proposed by an insolvency practitioner to your creditors on your behalf. Charges for insolvency practitioners differ, but it is common for fees to be taken from the monthly payments that you make if that is how you choose to settle your debt. Before committing to any one insolvency practitioner, always search the internet for recommendations and speak to friends or family to find a reputable practitioner as the last thing you need in this situation is to lose money. To qualify for an IVA you will need to have a minimum of around $20,000 debt. Also, 75% of your creditors (in monetary terms) must agree to the terms and repayment scheme of the IVA. So long as 75% agree, those who do not agree will be legally bound to accept it. However, if less than 75% agree, the IVA will fail. If that happens then you can change the terms of the IVA and try again, though this will involve paying more fees to your practictioner.