Wednesday, January 28, 2009

How to Get IVA Debt Help

By Sara Young

Unfortunately many people who are in debt right now will never be completely free of debt. With the economic situation being the way it is, and with the cost of living getting higher and the salaries decreasing, everybody seems to have less money on hand. This is causing debt levels to rise and some people can't afford to make repayments at all. That is why so many people are turning to IVA debt help.

The Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA) is a way to get out of debt, often within 5 years. Every month you pay a certain amount of what you owe, and when you are done, whatever amount was left is written off. That means that when your IVA debt solution is over, you do not owe your creditors anything and you can start anew.

The IVA debt help is a formal document - an agreement between you and your creditors - that ensures that you are able to pay at least part of your debt back. This is done using an Insolvency Practitioner who makes sure that the agreement is kept by both sides. For 5 years (usually) you will be making lower repayments that are more manageable to you, and then your debt will be written off and you will no longer be in debt.

The provision for the Individual Voluntary Arrangement was made in the Insolvency Act of 1986 to try and help individuals become debt free without having to file for bankruptcy, and to help creditors recover as much of the debt as possible. All income and assets should be assessed during the initial stages of the application to establish just how much you can afford to pay.

Your income and assets include your regular income, income from other third parties, savings, investments, and assets such as equity in properties or significant jewelry.

All of these assets can actually determine just how much you can afford to pay back. Only disposable income is taken into account so an individual applying for an agreement will be able to afford the bills and housing costs, as well as having enough left over to eat and enjoy life to a certain degree!

The court needs to be notified of your IVA application. It will appoint for you an IP that will help you and make sure that you follow your side of the agreement. Keep in mind that the IVA is a legal form and giving out any wrong information may result in a criminal offense.

Getting out of debt is a wonderful feeling after being in debt for so many years, so if you are deep in dept consider getting an IVA. However, not everyone should be getting IVA debt help, so discuss your particular situation with an IVA company to see if you should also consider other options.

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