If you are thinking about starting an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) one of your concerns may be how it will be publicised and as such who could find out.

If you do use an IVA your details will not be published in the sense that they will not be displayed in the newspaper. However as a legal requirement they will appear on The IVA Register which anyone can access and search through.

Generally speaking the register is used by those who want to check people’s creditworthiness, by people screening for employment and for debt recovery. However, there is nothing to stop a nosey neighbour from carrying out a search.

What is the IVA Register?

The IVA register is also known as The Insolvency Register. It is a public record of everybody in England and Wales who is currently in an IVA or is Bankrupt. It is maintained by a Government department called the Insolvency Service.

The register is held on line and is available for anyone to search for free.

As soon as your Arrangement is accepted by your creditors your Insolvency Practitioner will inform the Insolvency Service who will then add your details including the following:

– Your full name
– Your last known address (last known)
– Your Date of Birth
– Occupation
– Basic details about the Arrangement (start date etc).
– Details of the Insolvency Practitioner looking after your Arrangement.

BMD Tip: Additional details about your financial situation are not publicly available. Information such as how much debt you owe, your monthly payment amount and a list of your creditors is published.

How long will my details remain on the IVA register?

Your details will remain on the Register until either you have completed your IVA or it has failed for some reason.

When you finish the Arrangement your Insolvency Practitioner will issue you with a certificate of completion and inform your creditors. They will also send a copy of the certificate to the Insolvency Service who will then remove your details from the register.

BMD Tip: Your Credit Rating may be affected for some time after your Arrangement is completed and your details have been taken off the Register.