Credit Counselors

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Assess clients' overall financial situations by reviewing income, assets, debts, expenses, credit reports, or other financial information.
• Prioritize client debt repayment to avoid dire consequences, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure or to reduce overall costs, such as by paying high-interest or short-term loans first.
• Recommend educational materials or resources to clients on matters, such as financial planning, budgeting, or credit.
• Conduct research to help clients avoid repossessions or foreclosures or remove levies or wage garnishments.
• Advise clients or respond to inquiries about financial matters in person or via phone, email, Web site, or Internet chat.
• Explain services or policies to clients, such as debt management program rules, advantages and disadvantages of using services, or creditor concession policies.
• Interview clients by telephone or in person to gather financial information.
• Advise clients on housing matters, such as housing rental, homeownership, mortgage delinquency, or foreclosure prevention.
• Investigate missing checks, payment histories, held funds, returned checks, or other related issues to resolve client or creditor problems.
• Teach courses or seminars on topics, such as budgeting, management of personal finances, or financial literacy.
• Create action plans to assist clients in obtaining permanent housing via rent or mortgage programs.
• Prepare written documents to establish contracts with or communicate financial recommendations to clients.
• Explain general financial topics to clients, such as credit report ratings, bankruptcy laws, consumer protection laws, wage attachments, or collection actions.
• Advise clients or respond to inquiries about financial matters in person or via phone, email, Web site, or Internet chat.
• Maintain or update records of client account activity, including financial transactions, counseling session notes, correspondence, document images, or client inquiries.
• Negotiate with creditors on behalf of clients to arrange for payment adjustments, interest rate reductions, time extensions, or payment plans.
• Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations.
• Recommend strategies for clients to meet their financial goals, such as borrowing money through loans or loan programs, declaring bankruptcy, making budget adjustments, or enrolling in debt management plans.
• Disburse funds from client accounts to creditors.
• Explain loan information to clients, such as available loan types, eligibility requirements, or loan restrictions.
• Estimate time for debt repayment, given amount of debt, interest rates, and available funds.
• Refer clients to social service or community resources for needs beyond those of credit or debt counseling.
• Review changes to financial, family, or employment situations to determine whether changes to existing debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets are needed.
• Create debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets to assist clients to meet financial goals.

Skills

• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

Abilities

• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

Knowledge

• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

• Central Washington University
  400 East University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-963-1111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Financial Planning and Services
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

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• Skagit Valley College
  2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon WA 98273
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-416-7600
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.skagit.edu/
  Program Name
  Banking and Financial Support Services
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

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• Walla Walla Community College
  500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla WA 99362-9267
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-522-2500
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.wwcc.edu/
  Program Name
  Banking and Financial Support Services
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

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• Whatcom Community College
  237 W Kellogg Rd, Bellingham WA 98226
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-383-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.whatcom.edu/
  Program Name
  Banking and Financial Support Services
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Associate's degree
  Save

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Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

61170/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

29.41/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

440

Yearly Projected Openings

40

Personality

Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines. They do well at jobs that need:

• Integrity
• Dependability
• Concern for Others
• Attention to Detail
• Self Control
• Cooperation

Tools

• Inkjet printers
• Laser fax machine
• Laser printers
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Scientific calculator
• Special purpose telephones

Technology

• Data base user interface and query software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Financial analysis software
• Information retrieval or search software
• Internet browser software
• Network conferencing software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software