Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a severe last resort for the seriously indebted. It protects you from your creditors and allows you to start afresh but you need to think carefully about the implications it will have. Subject to certain exemptions, bankruptcy means your assets are sold off and the money used to pay your creditors (for example life insurance, pensions). You will probably have to sell your house.
As well as meaning that your situation is advertised in newspapers, bankruptcy brings with it other restrictions. Those include having bank accounts and credit cards closed. They also include having your landlord informed, and in certain professions a risk of losing your job.
IVA: the best way out of serious debt
The Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) has helped many thousands of people out of debt since it first appeared in 1998. An IVA means you can avoid the trauma of bankruptcy but you need to have debts over £10,000 and be in regular employment.
The IVA is a legally binding agreement – it protects you against any further action from your creditors. You can realistically be debt-free in five years.
With an IVA, you agree with your creditors that you'll pay only what you can afford. That means a single payment each month over the five year period. Your creditors agree to write off as much as 75% of your debt and leave you alone.
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