Figures suggest that the amount of IVAs applied for is set to triple between now and 2010, when it will climb above the 50,000 mark.

Yet, ironically, there are those who simply cannot afford to become insolvent. Speaking about the ?500 fee to become insolvent, a member of the CAB said: ?What we're seeing is a lot of people who can't afford to go bankrupt, but need to go bankrupt. They can't afford the fee.?

Others, with IVAs, may also have fallen foul of the legislation that demands the release of any equity in property or possessions to creditors and find the assets they thought they had set aside for the future, rapidly dwindling away.

However, there are mortgage brokers who specialise in arranging home loans or remortgages to people who have solvency problems, reducing the need for an IVA. By agreeing a rate of repayment that suits their particular circumstances, consumers can make the financially ?idle? equity in their homes work for them.

Once an affordable scheme has been arranged, a remortgage can offer someone who was resigned to insolvency the chance to use money that exists in their houses to honour outstand debts.

With the average growth in property averaging at 10 percent per annum, there is also the potential for there to be more funds available for a remortgage than thought in the first place.

This, again, can work in favour of the consumer who may not only be able to manage their debts and financial future, but also to effect a positive rating on their financial history.