Preparing after IVA completion
Finished your IVA? Check your records before a mortgage
Before a mortgage assessment, make sure you can show how your IVA ended and what your credit records say now. This checklist helps you organise the evidence and follow up discrepancies.
By Count Ready · Updated
Keep the evidence of the outcome
Start with the supervisor’s completion certificate or written confirmation. Check the name, case reference, approval date and recorded outcome against your own paperwork.
If you have only a final-payment statement, ask whether any completion work remains. If the arrangement failed or was terminated, record that outcome accurately rather than treating it as successful completion.
Keep relevant correspondence together, including any changes to the original arrangement. You do not need to guess which documents a lender will accept: ask the mortgage adviser what is required for the assessment.
Compare three separate sources of information
The supervisor’s documents
These establish what the supervisor says happened to the arrangement. Keep the formal outcome and supporting correspondence, particularly if the plan changed or ended earlier than expected.
Your credit reports
Check the IVA entry and the accounts included in it. Note the provider, account reference, dates, balance and status. Obtain reports from the relevant credit reference agencies using our credit-report access guide (opens in a new tab).
The public insolvency register
For England and Wales, GOV.UK says records are usually removed within three months of an insolvency case ending. That is a different timetable from a credit report. An absent register entry does not prove that every credit account has updated.
GOV.UK: register scope, removal and corrections (opens in a new tab)
This register covers England and Wales. For an arrangement elsewhere, ask the supervisor which official record and process apply.
Experian describes the normal IVA credit-report period as six years from approval, even after early completion, and notes that included debts can have separate entries. If your arrangement lasted longer or a record appears wrong, check the particular entry rather than assuming all information disappears together.
Make a correction request specific
A clear request is easier to investigate than “please fix my credit score”. Identify the information in question and the evidence supporting your request.
- Identify the record. Name the agency or register, report date, organisation and relevant reference.
- Describe the discrepancy. Say exactly which date, balance or status appears incorrect.
- Explain the evidence. Refer to the relevant certificate or correspondence and provide it through the organisation’s agreed secure route.
- Ask for a written response. Request an explanation of the finding and any update being made.
- Check the result. Keep the response and compare it with a fresh report when the organisation says the update should appear.
For example: “My report dated [date] shows [status] for [reference]. The attached confirmation records [outcome] on [date]. Please investigate the difference and explain whether this entry needs updating.”
Adapt the example to the actual facts. It is a request to investigate accuracy, not a demand to delete truthful history.
For report access and dispute guidance, see the ICO’s credit information guide (opens in a new tab). For default-specific issues, use our guide to default records and corrections (opens in a new tab).
Prepare a short summary for mortgage advice
- The IVA’s approval date and confirmed outcome, with evidence.
- The date of each credit report you have checked.
- Any unresolved issue, who is investigating it and the latest response.
- Your intended purchase or remortgage and any important timing constraints.
The adviser will also need current financial information. This record checklist does not replace an affordability assessment or establish that a particular lender will accept the application.
Questions about records after an IVA
Who should I contact if I have lost my IVA completion certificate?
Start with the firm or insolvency practitioner that supervised the arrangement and ask for a copy or written confirmation. Give the case reference and the name and address used at the time. Ask the mortgage adviser what evidence the proposed lender needs; do not assume a bank statement showing the last payment is sufficient.
My IVA is marked complete but an included account looks wrong. What should I do?
Identify the specific account, balance or status you believe is inaccurate. Contact the organisation reporting that account and explain the discrepancy, with relevant completion evidence. You can also raise a dispute with the credit reference agency. Completion of the IVA and updating each account are separate matters.
Should I send the same complaint to every organisation?
Direct the issue to the organisation responsible for that record. The supervisor confirms the arrangement’s outcome, the account provider deals with its reported information, and the credit reference agency can investigate a disputed entry on its report. Keep a record of who has been contacted and what they have agreed to check.
Can my adviser use an old credit report?
An older report can help explain what changed, but it may no longer show the current position. Ask the adviser how recent the evidence needs to be and provide a current report where requested. Keep the report dates visible so different versions are not mistaken for conflicting information.
Do I need to buy a credit-monitoring subscription to prepare?
A paid monitoring service is not a prerequisite for gathering your statutory credit reports. Use the available report-access routes and check what information each provides. A score-only screen will not show all the account details needed to investigate a discrepancy.
Should I wait for a correction before speaking to a mortgage adviser?
You can explain the issue while it is being investigated. Provide the current record, supporting evidence and the response received so far. The adviser can discuss whether a lender assessment should wait; do not describe a requested correction as completed until it has been confirmed.
Discuss your records and mortgage plans
Tell Count Ready that your IVA has ended and whether any evidence is still outstanding. We can explain what is needed to review the mortgage options.
Keep the initial message brief. Arrange secure document sharing separately.
The initial consultation is free. Ask for the service scope and full fees in writing before agreeing to chargeable work. A mortgage offer cannot be promised.
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