The NACCC has been providing training and certification for financial and career coaching, credit counseling, housing counseling, and financial counseling professionals since 1999. In addition, we serve a multitude of professions that utilize financial coaching and counseling to assist and empower their clients.
Our curriculum promotes a holistic approach to financial counseling and coaching, which emphasizes not only the financial side of debt-related issues but also the emotional/cognitive aspects related to destructive money behaviors. We believe that financial counseling and coaching represents an important consumer service, and that education is the key for enhanced on-the-job effectiveness, employment satisfaction and client empowerment.
Financial Counseling Network
The Financial Counseling Network (FCN) has two branches. The National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC) and the Society of Financial and Career Consulting Professionals (SFCCP). The National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC) is the certifying body of the FCN and provides training programs that are based on data-driven qualitative and quantitative needs analysis of the credit and financial counseling industries, including financial and career coaching.
The NACCC’s mission is to develop and oversee the educational needs, procedures, and outcomes of all certified counselors. Our programs are designed to enhance counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to help clients increase their financial knowledge, address and correct negative money behaviors, and implement sound financial management skills. Upon certification, counselors become members of the SFCCP.
The Society of Financial and Career Consulting Professionals (SFCCP) is a membership association. Membership in the SFCCP provides certified counselors continuing education, networking and mentoring opportunities, and offers a platform where they interact with and learn from others allowing them to keep up with changing trends and staying current. Both organizations operate within the Financial Counseling Network which provides a unified organizational structure.
Holistic Curriculum
Our certification programs cover essential counseling techniques, financial problem solving, consumer credit, consumer protection legislation, and the sources and solutions of delinquent debt. Our curriculum emphasizes not only the financial side of debt-related issues, but also the emotional/cognitive aspects related to destructive money behaviors. Participants gain skills in facilitating and educating individuals through the life-cycle process. Coaching programs focus on improving long-term financial behavior by facilitating clients to set and achieve financial and career aspirations through self-defined goals. Coaches help clients practice new behaviors and monitor those behaviors over time.
Fair and Valid Testing
Each certification exam is written in accordance with The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing developed by The American Educational Research Association, The National Council on Measurement in Education, and The American Psychological Association. All exams are monitored by testing and measurement experts (such as industrial/organizational psychologists) to ensure content validity, reliability, and non-discriminatory items for protected classes. Exams are administered through proctoring services offered at universities and community colleges, and libraries nationwide. NACCC offers webcam proctoring, please call our office or email [email protected] to get more information on this service.
The Importance of Continuing Education
Counselors who pass the exam are awarded a two-year renewable certificate. Within those two years, counselors are required to complete 16 hours of continuing education to renew their designation. NACCC believes that it is essential for certified counselors and coaches to continually increase their knowledge and skills through approved continuing education programs.
Recognition and Program Approval
NACCC is recognized by governing bodies requiring certification. This includes the following: approval by all states requiring certification to include all whom have adopted Uniform Debt Management Services Act; recognized by the United States Department of Justice Executive Office of the United States Trustees, approved by Department of Veterans Affairs(Facility Code : 4-6-0040-10 and creditors who require counselor certification as well as the credit counseling industry recognizes our status as an objective third-party credentialing organization. Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE Fund) has approved NACCC to provide Financial Empowerment Center training in accordance with the requirements and competencies outlined in the Financial Empowerment Center Counseling Training Standards. Approved for all competencies for Cities for Financial Empowerment as an education provider.
Financial Counseling Network is an approved continuing education provider now offering over ten different continuing education programs, including self-instruction through online courses and full-day seminars. Our State of South Carolina Approved Provider number is (#0618100).
Six Designations
NACCC awards Six designations – NACCC Certified Credit Counselor™, NACCC Certified Financial Health Counselor™, NACCC Certified Financial and Career Coach™, NACCC Certified Financial Counselor™, Certified Housing Counselor, and Certified Student Loan Counselor. This variety of certifications accommodates diverse professionals. These include licensed counselors, accountants, mortgage brokers, realtors, independent consultants, financial aid counselors in schools and universities, Trio and Upward Bound Programs, faith-based /community-based financial counselors, community development and community action agency counselors and case managers, small business development consultants, Economic Justice advocates, Tribes, pre-bankruptcy counselors and credit and housing agencies. The list continues to grow based on the needs of our communities.
Comprehensive Financial Counselor Certification Program
Our most recently published Certified Financial Counselor program includes curriculum from both the Credit Counselor and Financial Health Counselor programs as well as all three of the advanced programs (Student Loan Counselor, Housing Counselor, and Financial and Career Coach). This comprehensive certification covers every aspect of what it takes to become a successful financial counselor.
Code Of Ethics
In addition to maintaining certification, all Certified individuals must adhere to the Association’s Code of Ethics and sign a statement that they understand and agree to its provisions.
Education Standards for the Credit Counseling Industry
- Financial counselors engaged in direct communication with clients regarding personal financial management must be certified.
- Counselor certification must be earned through a nationally recognized, independent, third party educational organization.
- Curriculum used for certification must be research-based and specific to the education needs of financial counselors.
- The certification exam is written in accordance with The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing developed by The American Educational Research Association, The National Council on Measurement in Education, and the American Psychological Association. These standards recommend tests demonstrate content validity, reliability, and non-discriminatory items for protected classes. Validity is the most fundamental consideration in developing and evaluating tests.
- Testing for certification must be administered by qualified, independent proctors.
- Certificates are valid for a period of two years. Counselors must demonstrate that they have successfully completed a total of 16 continuing education units (CEUs) in order to receive renewal certificates. This ensures that counselors are current with important developments relating to lending and collections policies, consumer protection legislation, and issues surrounding credit and spending.
- The above education standards are to be periodically reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.
