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Credit counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.,
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical credit counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for credit counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 19.4% of credit counselor resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a credit counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 credit counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how credit counselors use customer service:
  • Provide effective customer service and support assisting clients in analyzing and improving personal finances.
  • Provided excellent customer service and helped to counsel customers regarding credit issues as necessary.

2. Debt Management

Here's how credit counselors use debt management:
  • Collected all necessary documents regarding enrollment of clients into debt management and settlement programs in most timely and effective manner.
  • Prepared written action plans to communicate financial recommendations to consumers and contracts for enrollment in the optional debt management plan.

3. Outbound Calls

An outbound call is made by the call center representative to the customers on behalf of the company. Such calls help increase sales and generate revenue for the organization.

Here's how credit counselors use outbound calls:
  • Managed an appropriate number of inbound or outbound calls, by limiting talk time and stayed focused on the task.
  • Answered inbound calls and made outbound calls, worked with clients on personal budgeting, financial and bankruptcy counseling.

4. Inbound Calls

Here's how credit counselors use inbound calls:
  • Received inbound calls on defaulted mortgages, directing customers to appropriate departments and determining the best resolve for the mortgage.
  • Worked in a call center, handled approximately 75 inbound calls a week from consumers with credit card debt.

5. Payment Arrangements

Here's how credit counselors use payment arrangements:
  • Determined customer's reason for delinquency and made payment arrangements to satisfactorily resolve delinquency and any outstanding issues.
  • Aided in control of delinquency by working with customer to counsel and negotiate satisfactory payment arrangements.

6. Credit Reviews

Here's how credit counselors use credit reviews:
  • Work directly with both customer representatives and customers in a fast paced environment to deliver accurate and efficient credit review decisions.
  • Performed weekly credit reviews for existing customer accounts that had expiring credit with Pacer or were having perceived financial difficulty.

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7. Delinquent Accounts

A delinquent account is an account wherein there are many past-due funds.

Here's how credit counselors use delinquent accounts:
  • Conducted credit collection procedures for commercial accounts, maintained accurate records and reported payments secured on delinquent accounts.
  • Communicated with customers and reviewed financial information to arrange mutually agreeable payment solutions for delinquent accounts.

8. Budget Analysis

Budget analysis entails explaining and examining the components of revenue and expenditure in a budget plan. The primary aim of the budget analysis is to predict and control future expenditures, needs, thus providing the information needed to prepare a budget for the subsequent fiscal cycle. The structure of the budget can vary based on the goals that the organization aims to accomplish.

Here's how credit counselors use budget analysis:
  • Provided financial counseling and financial education to consumers in need via telephone or face-to- face, including a detailed budget analysis.
  • Advised potential consumer credit clients on available options based on budget analysis

9. Action Plan

Here's how credit counselors use action plan:
  • Interviewed clients by phone or in person to assess financial status and recommend an action plan related to their goals.
  • Created action plans to assist clients in obtaining permanent housing via rent or mortgage programs.

10. Financial Education

Here's how credit counselors use financial education:
  • Offered financial education and advocacy to clients facing foreclosure and bankruptcy.
  • Established rapport to provide financial education and guidance.

11. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how credit counselors use community resources:
  • Educated consumers on other available community resources and credit management topics.
  • Referred consumers to social service or community resources for needs beyond those of budget and credit counseling.

12. Past Due Accounts

A credit card account in a bank or any other financial association that is past due in payment is called a past due account. Past due account holders are required to recompense their scheduled payments to the bank or their creditor. The more credit account holders are due, the more they are compelled by their lender to make the payment.

Here's how credit counselors use past due accounts:
  • Skip Trace: Locate members to collect installments, overdue accounts, damaged claims and non-payable checks.
  • Collected on past due accounts for credit card holders who accounts were past-due.

13. Interest Rates

Here's how credit counselors use interest rates:
  • Explained interest rates, closing costs, and mortgage products to clients and encouraged their active input into the application process.
  • Negotiated with creditors on behalf of clients to arrange for payment adjustments, reduced interest rates and time extensions.

14. Customer Accounts

Here's how credit counselors use customer accounts:
  • Analyze customer accounts and take appropriate action to maintain receivables integrity.
  • Collect on Past Due customer accounts, including resolution of discrepancies.

15. Consumer Credit

Here's how credit counselors use consumer credit:
  • Received 100+ inbound telephone calls daily and helped clients resolve any questions or concerns about the consumer credit counseling process.
  • Facilitated consumer credit relations including negotiations, problem solutions, establishment and maintenance of client's trust fund.
top-skills

What skills help Credit Counselors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What type of skills will young credit counselors need?

Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.

What hard/technical skills are most important for credit counselors?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about credit counselor

List of credit counselor skills to add to your resume

Credit counselor skills

The most important skills for a credit counselor resume and required skills for a credit counselor to have include:

  • Customer Service
  • Debt Management
  • Outbound Calls
  • Inbound Calls
  • Payment Arrangements
  • Credit Reviews
  • Delinquent Accounts
  • Budget Analysis
  • Action Plan
  • Financial Education
  • Community Resources
  • Past Due Accounts
  • Interest Rates
  • Customer Accounts
  • Consumer Credit
  • Credit Card Debt
  • Assess Client
  • Debt Repayment
  • Account Maintenance
  • Credit Bureaus
  • FDCPA
  • Credit Issues
  • Financial Problems
  • Loan Types
  • Financial Issues
  • Financial Statements
  • Customer Inquiries
  • Collection Agencies
  • Student Loans
  • Debt Obligations
  • Payment Adjustments
  • Credit History
  • Financial Plan
  • Short-Term Loans
  • HUD
  • Consumer Products
  • Financial Stability
  • Credit Scores
  • FHA
  • Financial Advice

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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