www.iva.co.uk

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:39 am**

Hi
My husband and I are over 80K in debt. Offered a IVA with Baines & Earst but not sure.
We have decided IVA is right for us but don't know which company to choose.

Please help, we have 3 kids and I can't face more stress.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:44 am**

Hi There
Having decided an IVA is the right option it is a great idea to shop around for a company you feel comfortable and safe dealing with. After all this a major comittment and 5 years is a long time.

Youre amongst friends here on the forum, there is a great deal of support and technical information to help you through it all. It is a very stressful time, many of us have been where you are right now.

There is a list of Insovency practitioners and companies offering IVA's on www.iva.com which contains client feedback. There are also a few professional experts who post on the site, who would be happy to help and come highly recommended by the client members.

Good luck.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:08 am**

Hi there and welcome from me too.

I can add no more than Lly has already said, but all the best and keep posting to let us know how things go and ask any questions that will undoubtably pop up.

Ang

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:35 am**

You might like to read my blog about "Choosing an Advisor" which gives you some tips about questions to ask when deciding which firm to use. Remember you have to work with these people for at least five years, so make sure you choose someone who will support you both prior to and after the creditors meeting.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:43 am**

Hi Billy.. we are with Melanie Giles and I must say have never had any qualms about our choice. Her and her team are brilliant and very efficient.. We were advised to speak to more than one IP, which we did, and we chose Melanie.. from the first call to being accepted was pain free and very professional

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:01 am**

Hi Billy
Welcome to the forum. I myself am with B&E and have found them to be very helpful. However, taking on an IVA is a major step in a long journey. As others have said in their replies don't accept the first offer, have a look at the blog Melanie mentioned and also the link she posted. When you have decided to go down the IVA route, be assured we will be here for you for those first crucial stumbling steps. We have all been there and know how agonising it can be, but we are here to tell you it needn't be. With a little support the journey can be a chance to renew your life. Welcome to the family.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:10 am**

Hi
Have a look at feedback on www.iva.com
Regards

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:13 am**

Assuming that an IVA is the right way forward for you, it is still to be realised that it is a very big decision and a big step. I would therefore echo the others and say that there is absolutley no harm in talking to 2 or 3 people before you go forward and a good place to start is www.iva.com where you can browse at your leisure, read reviews etc and then speak to however many providers you wish before taking the next step.

I hope everything works out for you and wish you a debt free future.

Regards.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:13 am**

I am lost like you and unsure which compnay to go with x

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:34 am**

Just wanted to say I am with Blair Endersby (the IVA arm of Baines & Earnst) and have found them to be excellent throughout.

It is always a good idea to read other peoples' feedback and reviews first as well as sounding a few companies out.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:36 am**

The basic principle here is that you should talk to as many providers as you want to, both to get a feel for what ALL your options are and to make your own decision as to whose services you choose to use. You have to have a relationship with whoever you choose for a significant period so it is important that you are entirely comfortable and happy with your provider before you take the next step, so again a visit to www.iva.com would be a good place to start if you have not already done so.

Regards

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:01 pm**

Thankyou all so much for your support and advice.

I am so glad to find others who find themselves in this nightmare situation.

It is so important to us to find the right team to support us, we are stillgoing through the process of discussig our needs with different companies.

Right now I feel so stupid that I allowed us to get into this situation.

Thankyou all

Jayne x

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:11 pm**

Jayne, you're not stupid at all. You should be proud that you're trying to sort all this out. We're all here for you. [:)] X

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:16 pm**

Hear Hear, the first step is often the hardest one to take and is infinitely better than allowing the situation to carry on for even one moment longer.

Good luck and regards.

Posted: **Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:00 pm**

One thing no one have said is that some are IVA 'factories' and some are more of the self employed type.

If you looking for whose best - well there isn't one.Who are the best IP....well who knows? One of the experts, there are few here,guess who,had said in another post that the IP should be able to take the constraints faced by the debtors and translate that into proposals to win over creditors in some borderline cases or cases where remortgaging issues could threatened a IVA's viability. I think in that respect all IP with their credential should deliver. As for quality of 'aftersale services','customer care' well it is difficult to say.

I am with Debt free Direct and would recommend them.I have called up recently and queried a few things....phones answered promptly and very professional