The rise in the number of people seeking to set up Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA), the government's much touted alternative to bankruptcy, demonstrates both the extent of the problem and the perceived advantages of this new debt solution. But is the Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) really all it's cracked up to be?

Until very recently when people were overwhelmed by debt, bankruptcy was the only solution. However, the introduction of the Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) by the government has created a new alternative to bankruptcy which is beneficial for both the debtor and the creditor.

The idea behind the introduction of the Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) was to enable people facing financial difficulties to come to a formal agreement with their creditors rather than having to face bankruptcy.

If an Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA) is agreed between the debtor and creditor:

• Interest on the loan is frozen
• Legal proceedings are stopped
• The overall debt is reduced

An Individual Voluntary Arrangement is generally seen as a more favorable option than bankruptcy from both the debtor's and creditor's perspective.

This is because there are no fees or legal proceeding involved with an IVA, unlike with bankruptcy and unlike bankruptcy an IVA doesn't have any stigmas of disqualifications associated with it. Furthermore, from the creditor's point of view, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement offers a greater repayment of the debt than would otherwise be achieved if the debtor were made bankrupt.

The only real disadvantages of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) are that you can't borrow more money when an IVA is in place (but this is a good thing since more borrowing leads to more debt); an IVA tends to run longer than bankruptcy (usually for 5 years) and it is possible that you might have to release some of the equity in your home (or in another valuable asset) as part of the IVA agreement.

In conclusion, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) can be an excellent way of getting to grips with your debt issues by allowing you to only repay what you can afford over an extended period of time whilst avoiding the stigmas and restrictions associated with bankruptcy.