Courses for Becoming a Certified Credit Counselor
The National Association of Certified Credit Counselors administers the certified credit counselor--or CCC--credential, a valuable designation in the financial-services industry. A CCC reviews clients' financial data and spending patterns and helps them chart a course toward solvency. As of 2011, a CCC earned an average annual salary of $46,000, according to Indeed, an online job resource.
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Components of Financial Well-Being
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This course teaches students the main elements making up financial solvency, including sound accounting ratios and how to deal with money. An example of financial ratio is income-to-debt metric, which shows the proportion of debts versus income in a person's budget.
Establishing the Client/Counselor Relationship
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An important part of credit counseling lies in an adviser's ability to build a good relationship with the client. This course teaches future CCCs how to communicate with customers and heed all forms of communication, including non-verbal.
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Rapport Building
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In this course, potential CCCs learn the essential components of rapport building, including empathy, genuineness and positive regard. They master how to develop empathy, convey honesty by disclosing to clients the role of a CCC, and show positive consideration by addressing customers in a respectful manner.
Active Listening
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Instructors draws the attention of future credit counselors on the components of active listening: what to do, what to say and how to observe. Students learn to identify client emotions and hone their listening skills.
Asking the Right Questions
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In this module, students learn traits that are common among experienced interviewers. Specifically, they familiarize themselves with open-ended and close-ended questions. These are questions that a client can answer at discretion or with a "yes" or "no," respectively.
The Problem-Solving Process
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This module shows future CCCs various methodologies to help clients identify and remedy solvency-related problems. Specifically, trainees learn steps from problem awareness to commitment and solution.
Where the Client is Now
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In this course, students learn how to calculate net worth, or total assets minus total debts. They also make sense of the techniques professionals use to track income and expenses, analyze personal budgets and calculate debt-to-income ratios. Future CCCs also familiarize themselves with the "spending personality assessment" concept, which deals with spending patterns and ways to overcome destructive behaviors--that is, financial habits that could lead to bankruptcy.
Where the Client Wants to Go
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After identifying where the client is, a CCC charts a financially sound course to bring the customer to the next level. This course teaches life-cycle planning, how to set long-term financial goals, the distinction between needs and wants, and how to make decisions.
How the Client will Get There
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This course instructs students on how to help customers reach their long-term financial goals. It focuses on the importance of spending plans and the process of economizing. This includes substituting, conserving, cooperating, utilizing community resources and cutting costs.
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References
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