What is an IVA?
An IVA - Individual Voluntary Arrangement - is a government sanctioned official method of repaying unsecured debts. If you owe more than £15,000 to a number of different lenders, then you could be suitable for an IVA.
Under an IVA, the creditors need to agree that the IVA is in everyone's best interests (including theirs), but to ensure that the creditors soo some return on their debt, the total amount owing can be quite radically slahsed: sometimes up to 75% can be written off. An IVA runs for 5 years, and you must stick to the agreed payment levels, otherwise the creditors can demand the full outstanding amount again. If you stick to the IVA though, you will be clear of debt in 5 years time.
A new form of IVA, to be known as the SIVA - Simplified Individual Voluntary Arrangement is due to launch sometime during 2007, and will cover lower debt levels and more flexible creditor agreements.
