Page 1 of 1

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 5:30 am
by Rosie.03
is it advisable to apply for an IVA through a debt manaegement company such as debt free direct or is there a better way to go forward ie apply independantly ?

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:31 am
by Shining
Hi and welcome to the forum. You can choose whoever you want really, I personally chose Melanie Giles after reading the forum. Why not pop over to www.iva.com for a list of companies and choose 2 or 3 to talk to and when you find one you're comfortable with you'll be able to move forward with them. Also take a look at the forum there is lots of advice on choosing an IP so all the best. x

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 8:45 am
by Adam Davies
Hi

You can use either, just make sure that there are no upfront fees to pay.
I would speak to two or three companies before deciding

Regards

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:40 am
by Foggy
You cannot propose an IVA yourself -- it has to be done through an Insolvency Practitioner.

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:45 am
by Michael Peoples
Debt Free Direct are an insolvency firm and can propose IVAs. As the others say you can only use an insolvency practitioner for an IVA but if you prefer debt management you could do that yourself.

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:04 am
by clairemichelle
Hi Rosie
I have just completed my iva through dfd. I have not had any problems with them other than re reclaiming ppi as I was forced to use their recommended firm eif who get 30 percent of the payment ans were in my opinion not very professional for alot of my dealings as they lost lots of forms and kept on resending them. I felt very bombarded by them. My advice would be to reclaim ppi now yourself and try and reduce the amount outstanding. You will need to declare if you proceed qith iva as it will be an asset that needs to be paid in if not sort when you proceed.

As I said generally no problems for me with dfd but I was lucky not tp have any major changes in my 5 yrs. I also dont really change the amount im paid ao didnt have hassle with pay in extras.

Do you own a property? If you do then be clear about the potential to be required to go down secured loan route if you cant release equity. There's been a few concerns on here recently (and dfd has beem one of the firms re this)

Definitely goto a couple of firms before going ahead and post here. Its a real help.

Good luck.
Cm x

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:33 am
by Tina Shortland
Hi Rosie.03 welcome to the forum - glad you found us to be able to start getting positive advice on how to address your debts :-)

As you will have seen in order to do an IVA you need a licensed Insolvency Practitioner to represent you and propose and supervise your IVA once it is in place.

It is always advisable to speak to 2 or 3 companies as some of the others have said - this will give you the ability to choose to proceed where you feel most confident and comfortable. There is much to consider when choosing a company - not only the upfront activity and contact but also how an IVA is managed throughout the whole term and completed to ensure you are free of it when you should be.

When you speak to other companies they will go over your circumstances to ensure you are choosing the right solution for you - then it is up to you who you choose.

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:43 am
by jogordon
Anyone contemplating an IVA should contact two or three and get comfortably with one of them. IVA companies are recommended on IVA.com – where you can see readers views

Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:11 pm
by MelanieGiles
If you are suffering from an illness, then you will generally go direct to a doctor to receive advice about your ailment, and a solution to the problem, or a referral to a specialist if they cannot deal with the immediate problem.

I doubt whether many of you would go via an intermediary, who would choose which doctor to refer you to, with little influence from yourself as to that decision process - which is usually dictated by a commercial arrangement between the IP and the referring firm. This can cause delays, and you cannot be assured of necessarily getting the right advice or the right man for the job.

Try both options if you feel you have nothing to lose, to compare the service - but do be sure to check out the reputation of the IP firm you eventually are to be referred to, and have a chat with them directly if you would feel that this is worthwhile.