www.iva.co.uk

Hi All,

I am almost complete in gathering all the documentation required to send to Melaniegiles.com.

Could someone possibly help and tell me whether the Bank Statements & Credit Card statements required for IVA document preparation need to be originals or can they be photocopies?

On another note, since stopping all payments to credit cards and living simply from my wages it's such a nice feeling not robbing peter to pay paul and actually only using money that is in your account. I know it's not right not paying all these creditors but it gives you a feeling of responsibility and control knowing that you are almost finally in control of your own money again.

I tell you what if/when my iva goes through I will not be getting in to debt ever again.

You guys are all great with your advice and positive thinking.

Cheers, Craigdaddy.

Copies will be fine and yes, it's a great feeling! x

Hi Craigdaddy
We have just sent all copies (need originals for accountant)

I know what you mean about having money to pay all the bills and living expenses.
When I think that I would pay money to a credit card company and then struggle to find money to buy groceries I cringe - because I realise it could have been like this months ago.

Hi I agree too it's a great feeling, it does put you back in control and over the 60 months it really does re-educate your way of earning and spending. Well that is how it's working for me now.

I definitely agree with you there Lesley. I have been living to a strict budget since I first sent all my documents off to Melanie's office. It has been a re-education not to just bring out the credit card whenever I need/want to buy something and I now I live by the ethos that I can only have it if I can absolutely afford it, but it has been quite liberating to eventually get rid of all the credit cards. Fingers crossed it won't take too much longer for my proposal to be put together and then a I can work towards debt freedom in 5 years time. [:D]

I'm sure it won't be long Sally, I'm with Melanie too and believe me she is not only a lovely lady personally she really is so thorough and knows her stuff 100% x

We are very happy to accept photocopies of these documents if you wish to retain the originals - and even better if you can scan and send them to us electronically.

Thank you all for your words of wisdom and positive thinking.

It's been a real eye opener since I stopped paying creditors just 1 month ago. I have been with Barclays Bank for 24 years, but now I have moved my bank account elsewhere. That itself was quite a change, I still feel a little guilty, and dishonest for going this route but I don't see any other way of sorting this out. My feelings are that if the creditors get something out of me then it's better than nothing!

Anyway, I shall post out all the documents today and hope it's not too long before I begin the road to recovery.

Thank you all.

Craigdaddy.

Good luck Craig - let us know how things are going.

Hi Craigdaddy,

It would seem we are both at a similar stage in the IVA application roller coaster. We too are just gathering together all our documents for Melanie, and am hoping to have them off to Tina by this Thursday.

I also concur with what as been said by fellow members, in that spending your own money, and not pulling out the credit card at the drop of a hat is a great feeling.
Looking back it frightens the hell out of me how I would quite simply stick anything on the credit card, with scant regard for when/how I would clear the debt. I say I, but it is an interlocking IVA that me and the wife are proposing; but the majority of debt being incurred by myself.

In compiling our background statement, I had to refer to a bottle of Johnny Walker to calm my nerves as I could not believe what my digits were typing. Looking at it 24 hrs later I feel nothing but immense guilt on how I have got to this position of indebtedness.

Another way of feeling good, and somewhat quite therapeutic is to shred everyone of those credit cards. I did this last weekend - not sure if I was meant to send them back to the card issuers, but boy did it feel good.

In fact I look around me and see very little to show for it.
Anyway it is what it is, and we are now addressing the problems head on with the assistance of Melanie Giles.

Good luck with your IVA journey.

craigdaddy wrote:

Thank you all for your words of wisdom and positive thinking.

It's been a real eye opener since I stopped paying creditors just 1 month ago. I have been with Barclays Bank for 24 years, but now I have moved my bank account elsewhere. That itself was quite a change, I still feel a little guilty, and dishonest for going this route but I don't see any other way of sorting this out. My feelings are that if the creditors get something out of me then it's better than nothing!

Anyway, I shall post out all the documents today and hope it's not too long before I begin the road to recovery.

Thank you all.

Craigdaddy.

I sympathise too Sinking Fast although my method of choice whilst writing our story was to bawl my eyes out [:I]

However I now realise that we are far from the lepers I felt like at first - over the last 18 months I have opened up to just a couple of friends about the IVA and in doing so found that out of a relatively small circle of friends it turns out one couple is in a DMP, another is applying for IVA and another looking into Bankruptcy! Seems we are not as alone as we first thought and eases the guilt quite a lot when I realise the mistakes we made are shared by many around us.

Yes Til,

I believe this forum is just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to the number of people seeking help for their overwhelming levels of debt.

Gd luck.

I agree that it is so nice thiking about money again as opposed to burying my head in the sand and sticking on a card to worry about another day. I have even found myself walking more - if i can save some money from my petrol budget i'm all for it (not sure the kids agree but it's good for them too)
The guilt is the hardest thing i have had to cope with so far - I know i used this money, I also look around and can't see where/how but in the end we were living on them (having no money left after paying our debts we used cards to live off, vicious circle)but I feel better reading this forum and knowing I am not alone - still doesnt make it right - I get very emotional when i think of what we have got ourselves into - but thankfully have taken the courage to somehow get out of it.
Good luck to everyone xx

Excellent post Clairbare

Can I ask what documents need to be originals and what need to be copies?

Does Melanie require copy wage slips or originals?

Thanks.