www.iva.co.uk

After what seems a lifetime we are heading out of the IVA and am reliably informed by Grant Thornton that I will have a completion certificate in March or April.

Throughout I have been paying mortgage, have had a car on HP and all normal bills with no missed payments or overdraft.

Questions ...

If I get the certificate, at what point will mainstream lenders look at me rather than needing high rate finance? Is it 6 years or do they need longer?

If I looked for finance (we need a car) and was turned down, does that put a black mark on the credit history I have just got cleaned up? (Nervous about applying as you will understand)

Thanks for all your advice over the years .....and to anyone at the start of an IVA just stick at it. Nothing is better than seeing the last payment made!

Hi and well done.

Mainstream lenders will look at you when the IVA disappears from your credit file ... but will often ask whether you have ever been in an IVA.

Best to chat with our brokers on forum: Ryan and / or Shaun, whose details can be found under the "Ask a Question" link ( top left) and scrolling down to the experts details section.

A credit search will show on your credit file for a year. The result is not recorded, byt future searchers can deduce the result from whether or not a subsequent account is registered. Too many searches in close proximity raises alarms.

Hi Mark, sounds like you are on the right track. Your file won't be clear until the anniversary of your IVA start date after 6 years. Check with your I.P if they will be sending the credit reference agencies your completion certificate, if not, send a copy to each of the 3 agencies. One application for credit won't harm your file. It won't be long now