Consumer credit counseling
can be a rewarding career.
Consumer credit counseling is a fast-growing career area that offers opportunities in a variety of arenas including banking and private consultation. The federal Universal Debt Management Services Act of 2005 requires credit counselors to obtain certification to qualify as credit counselors. Certified consumer credit counselors also seek continued education in areas of budget analysis and accounting to aid their careers.
Instructions
1. Determine which aspects of credit counseling you want to pursue. The umbrella of credit counseling encompasses a variety of career options that all require slightly different certification requirements. You can choose from debt counselor, bankruptcy counselor, bill paying and debt management.
2. Research the two primary credit counseling associations: the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC) and the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE). Links to each association's website are provided in the Reference section. Determine which program fits your budget and enroll in that program. The NACCC offers four programs with different focuses: credit counselor certification, senior credit counselor certification, financial health certification and debt management specialist certification. The AFCPE, in contrast, offers one basic overall course in credit counseling.
3. Study for the credit counselor examination. The AFCPE offers courses on personal finance (including stocks and bonds, retirement planning, planned borrowing, mortgage management, risk management, credit card use and credit cards) and financial counseling and debt management (including the subareas of counseling and communication process, credit reports, credit crisis, child support and alimony, bankruptcy, housing and student loan debt, utilization of public assistance and counseling methods). The NACCC coursework is broken into the four categories listed in step three.
4. Identify a proctor at a local university, community college, technical center or testing center to administer the exam to you. Both certification programs require the exam to be proctored at a testing center identified by the organization. The AFCPE requires that you subscribe to the AFCPE code of ethics after completing your examination. More information on locating an exam proctor is provided on the associations' websites.
Tags: credit counseling, credit counselor, credit counselors, debt management, Consumer credit counseling
