www.iva.co.uk

There are so many sad and disappointing threads going on at the moment - I am worried that new prospective IVAer's reading the forum may get a bit disconcerted.

If you are a member - or a casual reader - who has come out successfully at the end of the 60 months PLEASE post a few lines to tell everyone about this.

No offence to the F + F brigade - you lucky people!!!! - but many of us will never ever in a million years have the option of an F + F - we are in it for the long hard slog!!!! NO criticism of you F + F guys intended!!!

Or - if any of the experts from the business side are reading - can you post some figures from your own records to show that there is an increasing stream of happy IVAer's emerging at the end of the 60 month roller coaster???

Thank You!!!!

Hi Optimist

I have approximately 900 IVA's under my supervision, and we work on a failure rate of less than 5%, so that gives you some idea of the numbers who are expected to successfully complete.

Industry averages work on an 80% success rate, which is still quite high.

Regards, Melanie Giles, Insolvency Practitioner for over 20 years.

To have me propose an IVA for you, please visit:
http://www.melaniegiles.com/ivaEnquiry.asp

See customer feedback at:
http://www.iva.com/iva_companies/IVA_Advice_Bureau.asp

Hi Melanie -

Thank you very much for your encouraging post - I am only 9 payments in and am still only dreaming of my completion certificate in 2012!!!

I am 100% happy with my IVA company - they have been so down to earth with me and have been brilliant in quickly answering my query about my new monthly payment after my annual pay increase. I have read some criticism of the larger IVA providers but - speaking for myself - I have found them to be number 1!!!! Absolutely no complaints!!! I do really hope though thst as time goes by we will hear more and more stories of people who have completed their 60 months.

I must say that I am a little bit jealous of people who speak face to face with their IP (a la Melanie) but am completely happy with the service I have received. BUT having said that I think that Melanies brilliant answers on this forum are unbeatable.

And if I successfully complete in 2012 I shall be the number one poster on this forum to give encouragement to new IVAers (if IVAs are still with us in 2012!!!!!).

I'll be right with you as we complete sometime in 2011 which I suspect we shall receive our certificate of completion - what an achievement that will be. And then it will be straight down to the baby making!!!

I think it is always worth remembering that whilst not all of us get to talk with our IP the advice, support and friendship from this forum is invaluable and more often or not it has the ability to put your mind at ease.

After reading your post I had a good hard think about my situation and to my surprise actually came up with a good angle on it. I think [:D]

So, my IVA was a no go from the start. I personally can't afford to repay my debts as they stand, but my husband earns too much for an IVA to be feasible. But my husband won't help me pay my debts. Where's the good side of this I hear you ask.

Well. Hopefully I will have a DMP approved.

Yes, it will take longer for me to repay the money I owe

Yes, I would have preferred an IVA (debt written off, who wouldn't??)

But!! At the end of all of this I will have paid off every single penny that I owe. All of it. It's gonna be hard. There's no doubt about that. But at the the end of it, I can truely say that I finally did it. I finally paid off my debts. That day will be a proud day for me.

And, I'm learning already. I already look at things I want and before I buy them I ask myself, do I really NEED them. Can I afford them. If the answer is no, it goes back on the shelf.

Last month I had £10.00 left in my account. £10.00! But it was MY £10.00. It was the first month I did not use my overdraft or any of my credit cards. I didn't order from my catalogues. And I had £10.00 left.

So whatever your solution, and however long it takes, and whatever sacrifices you need to make, be proud of yourself. You're doing it. You're getting it sorted. And you will eventually learn to be humble and appreciate any help you get, whether it be from professionals, or from your mate who buys you a pint down the pub, cos you can't afford it.

So, baby steps and humility. That's the ticket [:D]

p.s. I'm having a good day today. Did you notice - lol

Johnz

johnz -

Sounds to me like you have a great attitude - I hope your DMP is approved. A part of me still wishes that I was paying off 100% of my debts - some sort of pride thing I suppose - but now my IVA is up and running I am just determined to see it through to completion. I even keep a note in my diary of the exact number of days to the 5th Anniversary of my Creditors meeting!!! Daft - I know - but am already down in the 1500s!!!