Kaviaar

Is an Individual Voluntary Arrangement for You?

One of the greatest challenges many people face is keeping a lid on their financial situations and ensuring that their debt doesn’t overwhelm then or get out of control. There are many factors that can influence how we handle our debt and these factors are often well beyond our control. For some, the stress of having debt that is beyond managing is a situation that they are not prepared to deal with. The good news is that you don’t have to let debt get the upper hand on your personal circumstances, no matter what they are. What is perhaps most important is to recognize the warning signs that your debt is getting out of control. When you recognize the warnings, then you can take steps to get your debt back under control.

Getting into debt usually isn’t something that happens overnight. Life situations such as the sudden death of a spouse or loss of employment can create devastating debt situations rather quickly but for many, debt is the result of a process of time where debts continue to escalate gradually. Having accumulated debt does not make you a bad person. What you do about that debt, however, does determine in the eyes of those you are indebted to as well as credit rating bureaus whether or not you are the type of person who will pay the debts that you owe. When your debt is more than your income and you become aware that you cannot handle the debt alone and have no reasonable way to take care of the debt, one of the considerations available is to enter into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement or IVA.

An IVA is a legal agreement that is negotiated on your behalf by a licensed insolvency practitioner who approaches your creditors and works out a plan to help you take care of your debt. The standard IVA time frame is 5 years. During that time, provided that three quarters of your creditors agree to the IVA, the interest and charges on your debts are frozen. At the end of the specified time frame, any debt that you have not paid is written off. Choosing an IVA allows you to reduce your monthly payments by as much as 70%. Your IVA practitioner negotiates the terms will all of your creditors except your mortgage and creates an option that allows for one affordable monthly payment for all of your debts.

Deciding if an IVA is right for you involves taking a realistic look at your debts and income. For example, you usually have to have at least 12,000 in debt to qualify for an IVA plan. It is important to understand that an IVA is a legal and binding agreement that has advantages over filing for bankruptcy but choosing an IVA is not a solution for having a valid debt management plan that will carry you on after the IVA has ended. If you are struggling with debt that is overcoming you, don’t wait for things to get better. Explore the possibility of entering into an IVA agreement with your creditors today and regain your peace of mind and control about your debt.