Can only second what others have posted, I wasn't with her firm during my IVA but have benefited from Melanie's straightforward, unbiased and spot on advice on numerous occasions in the past. In fact I think Melanie answered more questions for me than my actual IP firm! I wouldn't hesitate to recomm...

However, if you don't spend anything on these cards then your credit rating won't rebuild. You need to spend a few pounds a month - petrol perhaps? As soon as you have spent it, you just go and then pay it back. It looks better if potential creditors can see that you have been paying things back. S...

Thanks for the input everyone, much appreciated. Would still be interested to hear if anyone has successfully obtained a mortgage at a reasonable rate after the six years is up. I always thought that as the IVA stays on your credit report for 6 years from the start of it, then once the iVA had been ...

I was previously in an IVA from September 2006 to September 2009. It was concluded early by way of a full and final settlement. I fully appreciate that it would be difficult if not impossible to get a mortgage with the IVA, albeit completed, still on my record. I had hoped that after 6 years when th...

Thanks Andy, that's good to know. Just need to save a deposit now!

Thanks Melanie, it was hard 3 years and I have well and truly learned my lesson. I am so frugal now it's untrue and I just LOVE saving rather than spending!

I completed my IVA via full and final settlement in September 09 after 3 years. Once I have repaid the relative who lent me the money for the F&F I will be saving hard for a deposit for a house. I understand that after 6 years my credit file will be clean with no IVA and no defaults showing but was ...

I agree, all the professionals on here are fantastic. My thanks, in particular, go to Melanie - who is not my IP - who answered many specific questions for me in the run up to my (successful) F&F settlement. Top notch, impartial advice, often at silly 'o' clock in the morning - where else can you ge...

mel i must say that we have 8 cats and 1 dog, we can feed all of them on £30 per mth, that is the exact cost give or take a few pence, and thats asda food, its the cheapest in our area, but the worm and flea products cost around £80 mth,and we get only £20mth with the iva, which doesnt come close, ...

Hi Moneypenny Sorry to hear you're struggling. On the pets side of thing are you buying vet strength flea and worm treatments? Petshop stuff is next to useless so veterinary strength stuff is the way to go, you can buy Frontline and Drontal (without a prescription) from online pet pharmacies for muc...

Not sure if you're allowed to post links on here but Quidco are currently offering £110 cashback for switching gas and elec Scottish power, £80 to EDF, £62 for Eon...

I switched from Eon to Scottish Power whilst 18 months into an IVA so they can't have credit checked me either. I went through a cashback site so they also paid me £70 for switching to them, I went for a capped rate which ends a few months before my IVA was due to finish so that meant I wouldn't hav...

I do agree in principle but if you applied for monthly payments because you didn't have the lump sum available and you were declined due to a failed credit check, I still think you would still have to declare that you had insurance refused which then makes it almost impossible to get any mainstream ...

My worry with applying for monthly insurance policies is that if they refuse to insure you after doing a credit check (which I believe some comapnies do) then when asked the question 'Have you ever been refused insurance' you would have to say 'Yes' which could make it very hard to find anyone to in...

I had a HP agreement with Black Horse which was not included in the IVA and shortly after it was accepted I received the following letter: "This notice is served under section 76(1) of the consumer credit act 1974. Under the terms of your agreement with us, we are entitled to terminate your agreemen...