Allen.f is quite right here.
Sure, if you enter into an IVA, your credit rating will be effected. But this is no worse than if you had struggled on missing payments. The IVA is only recorded on your file for 6 years. If you had gone into a Debt Management Plan, your credit rating would remain effected until all of your debt had been paid off which could be many years.
On the subject of the CCJ, once you are in your IVA, your creditors can take no further action against you so no worries of CCJs once you are in your IVA.
James Falla
Expert in IVA, Bankruptcy and informal Debt Management solutions for over 10 years.
For more information visit
www.jamesfalla.com and visit my blog at:
http://jamesfalla.blogs.iva.co.uk