finally finished the five years!

[mavericksolo]

i have been on and off this site for the five years my husband and i were in our iva with McCambridge Duffy and i just wanted to write a few lines to thank everyone, including the site owners/moderators for their support and words of wisdom. Alot of the time it did help alot to know that there were others around who were going through similar things and that not just us were foolish and had got into debt that they couldnt handle without help. We began this five years ago having rung up debts for all kinds of reasons, including university debts, car finance, setting up our first home after getting married and starting a family. We finished our last payment in November and got our certificate of completion (well a typed letter on headed paper - we were a little disappointed and were slightly tempted to frame it we were so proud of the damn thing!lol). We got the finished paperwork in the first week of January without any chasing of the company. There were a few hiccups along the way and a few times we got things wrong as did our file managers but to be honest, i cant really fault McCambridge Duffy on the whole. They have pretty much left us to just make the payments and have been ok throughout - no worse than any firm i have read on here and i guess we should be grateful they took us on - we would have been so much worse off.
If anyone at all wants any advice, if they feel i can help at all, please do ask - i know i did heaps of asking people, even daft little things - i dont want to be one of those that says "we've done it" and then never be on the site again......so you will see me lurking on the site every now and then to see how everyone is doing and to offer some words of encouragement as we've managed it which we never thought we would so it can be done!
Anyway, ill leave it to the moderators where they would like to put this post but as i said, please do see this post as a positive - the last three years flew by, they really did and we begin 2009 debt free - its an amazing feeling - and thank you for helping us get there! x

[moretolife]

what a great post..so encouraging...we too are with the same IP firm as you and agree with what you say...I am especially encouraged to hear that the last 3years went quick..we are in the 3rd year now and hoping we get to the end of our journey really quick
thanks for posting..
I find the ones who complete their journey and then come on here to share their story..so inspirational and sometimes I just need to hear that it can be done.
maybe you could do a blog and lead us along on your journey??

[MelanieGiles]

They are a good firm, in that they really do care about their clients. I worked there for a couple of years and the ethics demonstrated by Colm Duffy, the founder of that company, have never left me.

Colm often put his hand in his pocket to help clients in severe hardship personally, and I remember once he sent someone a new mobile phone when BT cut them off for non payment of a bill. Little gestures like this actually cost very little to the firm, but mean a tremendous amount to their clients - and most IPs do run across the odd hiccup along the way - because that is human nature on both sides.

Glad that you have now received the result you require, and good luck for the future. Your post will be inspirational to others already on their journey or thinking of starting their own.

[buttercup]

What an accomplishment well done to get through the 5 years. I think your post will really help people realise that they too will get through. I was lucky to do a F & F at the start hurt like mad but was over, still repaying sister but it was short & sharp and I worked with Melanie who helped get me through.

Again well done for holding in there I have huge respect for you as i do everyone on this board.

Kathy

[kallis3]

Well done for completing the 5 years. What a wonderful post as well, and so nice to see a good review about an IP firm.

It was nice to read Melanie's comments about them as well, what a nice, friendly touch, unlike some of the bigger firms.

Good luck for the future mavericksolo.

[Shining]

Great positive post. All the best for the future x

[tori]

What a lovely, inspiring post!..congratulations,and all the very best for your debt free future.xx

[debtmountain]

I agree, what a lovely and inspiring post!!..Well Done mavericksolo on you and your hubby completing your IVA, and I would like to wish you both lots of luck for the future and glad to hear that you will still continue to post occasionally..take care..xx[:)]

[Skippy]

Congratulations to you and your hubby for completing your IVA Mavericksolo, and I wish you both good luck for the future xxx

[mavericksolo]

arrhh- thanks everyone - its sounds so silly to be proud of it now but i do feel we have both learnt so much more from being in it - we went into it so young and i did feel in the beginning we were perhaps silly to have gone into an iva so quickly instead of trying debt management programmes first but now its over i think five years to clear so much debt and pay so little each month was not such a hardship - its made us both grow up alot and consider more carefully what we buy and what we spend on. I was nearly 25 when i went into it and thought i knew it all - as you do! - but now i know every penny i spend and how much all my direct debits are and i keep a diary still of everything i spend to keep an eye on things and keep envelopes of any money left over divided by how many weeks i have in that month so i blow a little each week on a treat and dont go mad leaving me skint at the end of the month - we now buy food weekly and not monthly and we plan meals instead of buying heaps and throwing heaps due to being out of date - i shop at about seven different shops now mainly local smaller ones instead of big supermarkets as i get bigger discounts and better quality stuff but also eat what i buy instead of over buying mass supermarket bargains i never used......and we do more family fun things that are cheap like building tents in the house, playign with a cheap pack of balloons and going to friends houses for tea etc instead of expensive days out....it all sounds so obvious now but pre iva i would have laughed at the "little house on the prairie" approach........mccambridge actually made a small mistake with our last payment taking slightly too much but as soon as we queried it, they amended it and also compensated us for the inconvienence - i can honestly say they have been good for us - our first case worker was not easy to get on with and we had to push for info but after we passed the two year stage, it really felt easy and it flew. the fifth year came before we knew it...and we're still tempted to frame the letter showing we have finished it - just need to send it off to the credit agencies first to try and clear the iva off the system to try and rebuilt our credit now. the only possible things for our future we may need good credit for is a mortgage as we still rent and possibly car finance for me (my husband agreed to have some within the iva but for a high interest rate so it is possible but you have to get permission first and show it wont affect your payments - he had t work extra overtime to afford it, giving half still to the iva)...i never want a loan or bank overdraft again!

[johnh]

Great stuff!!! You've gone through a lot at such a tender age and you will be all the stronger for it. What a great future now lies before you. Stick around - you're experience will be an inspiration to us all!! Well Done!!