www.iva.co.uk

Can anyone give a personal recommendation on which company to use for an IVA?

Its not really our place to say who you should go with but Melanie Giles comes rather highly recommended. You should pick 2 or 3 firms from www.iva.com and see what they all say.

I used rsm tenon and have nothing but good things to say about them but not sure if they are still dealing in personal insolvencies.

Paul

Hi Charlotte. Have a look at the link Plasticdaft gave you and speak to a couple of companies. It is important to find one you gel with as you will have a fairly intimate financial relationship for 5 or 6 years.

Personally, if I were to start again, I would definitely speak to Mel and I would also speak to McCambridge Duffy. RSM, Paul mentioned, no longer take on IVAs, having sold this arm of their business to Grant Thornton.

Welcome to the forum. Choosing the right IP is critical as you will be working with them for the next few years. Being reassured and comfortable when talking to them and the staff at the chosen firm is important.

The link provided is a great starting point, providing access to some very highly recommended companies ....

The forum is here for you during your IVA journey and remember you can post anytime...there is normally somebody about night or day to answer your questions or give you some reassurance.

Good luck !

Hi Charlotte,

Welcome.

I think this thread is a really good idea. Sometimes people are all too ready to be critical of IVA firms, but (with a couple of exceptions already mentioned), there is a lot less 'good press'.

I'm with Mitchell Farrar Group.

Is anyone else with them? Cannot find any reviews - good or bad about the company. I assume no news is good news!!!

Personally, I have no complaints so far, and they (via their sister 'Debt Management Company' - Debt Advisory Line) were very good at maximising my living budget, to keep my IVA payment as affordable as possible.

The occasional queries I had at the start of the plan, were answered professionally and courteously by my case officer. When my case officer left the company, her replacement phoned me just to introduce herself as my future first point of contact, and to check that everything was still OK with my IVA. A nice personal touch - over and above the minimal service level I cynically expect these days.

My only minor gripe, with the benefit of hindsight, is that I would have now gone direct to Mitchell Farrar (or indeed any other IP direct), rather than paying an up-front fee-charging management co. (Fee was reasonable though).

Will let you know how they are at review time.

I have been with Freeman Jones and have no complaints about them. They are always polite and helpful when contacted and have always returned phone calls and messages. We are in the process of completion so will post if we have any problems with that. Reading some of the stories on the forum had made me nervous, but then I think, well we have finished the payments so life has been a lot worse.

Freeman jones are fab , really nice people

I am not with Melanie Giles but would have no hesitation in recommending her company.

An IVA can be a 5-6 year journey, and you want someone that is going to be there all the way through it with you.

Like many others, I have been sold on a couple of times and ended up having no say which company I ended up with!

any you should avoid?

Cairo....not for us to say here on the forum. All companies have there good and bad bits...no one is perfect !

Www.iva.com provides some reviews on the recommended IPs and their own websites will also provide some testimonials.

Cairo, there are some I would avoid, but that is a purely personal thing as those on my "to avoid" list all have many, many satisfied clients. It's just that I don't like some of their policies.

Ones I WOULD advise avoiding are those that charge a fee upfront (many ask for the first payment before the creditors meeting, but that is a different thing) as well as any company that approaches me out of the blue.

As already stated - we cannot tell you who to avoid but you should contact www.iva.com and speak to one or two of the companies on there.

May I thank the forum posters who have provided personal recommendations for my firm.

If I were looking into proposing an IVA, I would want to try out a few providers to see which one fitted best with my needs - and the things to look for are a high level of continued support once the arrangement has been accepted, and the success rate of the practitioner in getting IVAs accepted and then closing them successfully. It always pays to take time to shop around, and consider all of the issues that are important to you before coming to a decision.

Hi Charlotte.88. Welcome to the forum. I echo what others have posted to you. It's such an individual thing, it's important for you to do your own research. I didn't do so myself, as a friend's partner virtually took over my financial affairs as I was very unwell at the time. He chose Payplan, and overall, everything has worked out very well for me, but I wouldn't recommend them only because they may not suit your own needs. All the best with it. x

I can only echo what everyone else has said but I don't mind adding that I went with Melanie after reading all the positive comment on this forum back in 2008. I never regretted my decision her firm were brilliant every step of the way. The choice though is yours and go with whoever you feel most comfortable with.