Calling all with positive IVA stories

[Dee]

Hi

I am hoping to get my husband to look at this sight with me. He is really struggling with the idea of having an IVA (not that we are guaranteed to have one agreed).

As we don't know anyone personally who has experience of life within an IVA, I thought it might be useful if he read some of your experiences.

Would anyone mind adding comments to this topic to reassure him that there is light at the end of the tunnel and people out there who understand. I don't want to lead him to believe it will be a doddle but just that its not all doom and gloom.

Thanks
Dee

[hara]

Dear Dee,

Well coome to the forum.Belive me this forum is a God send to people in debt.

I personally have benifited a grate deal from advice and comments from members and experts.

IT IS FREE.

If you would be so kind enough to give as much detail as you can,an expert shall be able to give advice.

Basically if you can deatil unsecured debts,including creditors names,a detailed income and expenditure.whether house is in joint names.Is debt in one persons name or both or mixed.

If the debt is in one persons name,the other person need not enter in to IVA.

Importantly you have to get your husband to see this site.

You have to be insolvent to enter IVA,at least have 3 creditors,I think your debts will have to be at least 15,000 pounds.Be able to pay at least 200 pounds per month.

Importantly creditors will be looking for at least 25p in the pound.need 75% of yes vote of the creditors who vote.

I hope this helps.

Stay in touch of site.

Hara.

[Lisa2009]

My hubby was in his IVA for 3 years, yes things were tight but we managed. No more bills and statements, no creditors phoning and best of all was the peace of mind we had (apart from me being a total stress head)
3 years in we managed to remortgage and IP got creditors to agree to a slightly lower dividend than was origianally promised. So here we are now, completely debt free apart from the mortgage.
I would say to your hubby, if you can do it then do it.
They can be very successful as long as you dont agree to unrealistic expectations in the proposal.
Which would you prefer, living on credit and getting in deeper or living on a tighter budget and being debt free and not dreading the post coming through the letterbox?

mrs skint

[Dee]

Hi Hara

Thanks, I have been addicted to this sight for the last few days and have provided my details to Melanie Giles and look forward to working with her to resolve my debt issues. My husband however hasn't had the benefit that this sight offers so I very much appreciate your comments.

[aguise]

Hi Dee most definately not all doom and gloom. I have to say we are so much better off in our iva. Our credit had really run out a while before and I had spent months, struggling to keep our heads above water. Hubby was doing loads of overtime, we had both been ill, and the stress was immense. Since the iva we have learned to live to our budget, we do overtime if avaliable, but unlike before we dont have to, but if we do we pay our 50% each month in extra and our half we save for treats, or emergencys and it can build quite quickly. At least now we keep that 50% ,before irt just went on bills, very depressing to work so hard and never feel any benefit for it. If you read my blog you will see there have been a couple of emergencys and we have coped each time. No more dread of the postie, no more bills through the door to hide in the draw till I can face them. I know what I have to spend and live to it. If you read the posts about xmas everyone managed in their own way and were so proud that they had done it without credit.
Important things are a manageable I and E . Dont accept a modification to pay more if you cant afford to, this will only result in most likely failure.
We have managed for a year now and it is the best decision we ever made. The light is definately there and getting brighter.

My opinion only but others will follow.

Ang

Please visit my blog at http://aguise.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[Dee]

Thanks Skint

Your story truly make me feel positive. I think the hard thing is that he has never had any involvement in the finances so this is really the first time he has had to face the issue - never worried about the bills coming in just trusted me that everything was fine. I dont accept full resonsibilty though cause I did try to tell him on many occassions but he just never got his head round it and as ignorance seemed to be bliss I joined him in ignorance.

Dee

[Dee]

Hi Ang

I have read your BLOG previously and was actually going to be the first place I refered my hubbie to. Its a fantastic BLOG.

Dee

[hara]

Dear Dee,

PLEASE,PLEASE,GET YOUR HUSBAND TO SEE THE SITE.

YOU MUST DO THIS AND INSIST THAT HEE SEE IT.

Hara.

[aguise]

I've gone all red now Dee[:I], thanks.
Tell hubby to have a read, MikeS has a long post on here and that is truly inspiring to see the change from almost desperation to being so positive and feeling so much better.

Ang x

Please visit my blog at http://aguise.blogs.iva.co.uk/

[emma_t]

Hi Dee

It is one of the hardest things to admit you have a debt problem that you cannot solve without some help, I often think it must be sometimes harder for a man to admit, especially if they have a family.
Urge your husband to read some blogs as a start and take some professional advice as soon as possible as things will not go away. When you take advice you will be talked through the best solution for you, which may not even be an iva. You can do no better than making contact with Melanie, as you will get honest, professional and supportive advice from all the team from the start. I started off with another company before I found this forum and as I had no experience of anything like this I took all they said and thought I was getting great advice although not all my questions/queries were answered an I always felt rushed with them as had to 'book' telephone appointments. When I found this site I was so impressed by all the advice Melanie gave I contacted her and changed and it felt 'right' from the beginning and I truely believe I have a workable iva for 60 months that will reach a succesful conclusion.

I would have been in debt for so many years, I think it was about 15 years on a dmp and that was with all creditors agreeing to freeze the interest, which in reality I think they don't always. So for me the iva is a way to work hard, live frugely for 5 years but be dect free at the end of it. I used to work 2 jobs, work everyday and have no quality of life pre iva to maintain minimum payments, but as it happened I lost my second job suddenly and that lead me to seek an iva. In retrospect it has been a brilliant thing for me as I now work 5 days and have am not pushing myself to the limit to service my debts.
As Ang said mike s's post is truely inspiring, I have put a link below but if your husband can have a read it will give a proud famiy man's persective|:
http://www.iva.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6267

The forum is a great place when you need advice or just a bit of support and has been a lifeline for me[:)]
Good luck
Emma

[Soulgrowth]

Hi Dee ... I would thoroughly recommend going for the IVA if at all possible, it can be a completely life changing event [:)]

Good luck.

Debbie

www.familyceremonies.co.uk

www.soulgrowth.co.uk

[Dee]

Wow I have just spent the last hour reading MikeS's thread. (I'll get my husband to read it)

Has anyone ever thought about publishing some of these threads? They are interesting,comforting,supportive,inspirational.....I could go on. Some people don't have access to the web and I feel for anyone going through what we are all going through (I know every case is different but there is definately common stories,situations,emotions etc)that don't have access to this forum.

MikeS
I feel I know you now (I think you have a bit of a celebrity status on here) Your wife and children are lucky to have you! Have you considered having jewellry parties (a bit like Ann Summers without the batteries)

Dee

[mish1953]

Hi Dee ... hi ... sorry couldn't resist it [:D]

I'm not in an IVA - I'm bankrupt , I'm a bloke (but so wear a kilt now and then ), I'm 54 , I'm a single dad (15 yr old daughter lives with me ), I work full time but dont have a large wage. Paying an IPA to the official receiver for 3 years.

No debts, no overdraft, no credit cards, no cheque book.
No worries about mail, paying my bills, generally coping quite well.
Saving towards a holiday (camping ) . [8D]

No its not always easy and I do 'watch' what Im spending my money on - but we all should be doing that , Im about to lose my house ( Im BR remember ) but thats ok 'cos Im moving into a rented place next week. I rant and mutter about food/fuel prices and generally mumble incoherantly 'cos Im a daft ol scotsman

BUT ... Life is OK .. pretty good really, now if I could just find a girlfriend that would put up with me I would have it cracked . [}:)]

Tell you bloke to get his thumb oot 'o his ... bottom or I'll send the boys aroon [8)]

Slainte
Mish
aka Hamish - the daft scotsman

Will an automatic discharge hurt.

[thebear29uk]

Ho Dee...Ho - Sorry but Mish started it.
I would like to add something on Mish's behalf. Prior to going BR he hadn't seen the inside of a pub for over 3 years!! Now for a Scot that is wrong. Like he says BR (and IVA's) are not easy but you learn to budget, learn to accept what you could only ever afford in the 1st place but didn't know because credit cards always paid in the past, and start to have peace in your life knowing you are not going to get phonecalls/letters and nasty statements showing minimum payments you can no longer afford.

Regards

Dave

[Lisa2009]

And if all of this doesnt work then i dont know what will LOL
Seriously, most of us come on this forum full of despair to start with but with the help of the experts and the other forum members, those things that once looked bleak then become clearer and easier to accept.
It'll be a tough 5 years but also its a huge lesson to all of us about not living beyond our means and that on its own has to be worth it.

mrs skint