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Credit Counselors

SOC 13-2071.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers consumer credit and debt counseling practice in nonprofit, agency, and financial services settings, from supervised intake and budget drafting through independent case management, creditor negotiation, and organizational leadership of counseling programs.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Client financial data — collect and organize under direct supervision during intake interviews conducted by telephone or in person.
  2. Income and expense calculations — perform using spreadsheet software to determine a client's available monthly income under guided review.
  3. Credit reports and basic financial documents — review and summarize key items with oversight in a consumer credit counseling office.
  4. Debt management program rules and service policies — explain to clients using approved scripts and standardized materials under supervisor direction.
  5. General financial topics such as credit report ratings and collection actions — describe accurately to clients using agency-approved reference guides.
  6. Preliminary debt repayment priorities — identify by applying standard protocols to distinguish high-interest obligations from lower-priority debts.
  7. Client intake data — enter accurately into database user interface and query software following established data-entry procedures.
  8. Active listening techniques — apply during client interviews to capture relevant financial details and flag concerns for senior counselor review.
  9. Basic budget worksheets — draft for client review using office suite or spreadsheet software under the direction of an experienced counselor.
  10. Consumer protection laws and bankruptcy basics — reference correctly when responding to routine client questions in supervised counseling sessions.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Monthly income and debt obligation calculations — conduct independently using financial analysis software to assess a client's repayment capacity across a standard caseload.
  2. Comprehensive debt management plans and spending budgets — create for clients with common financial profiles, adapting templates to individual goals and creditor requirements.
  3. Client financial situations — assess routinely by reviewing income, assets, debts, credit reports, and expense data gathered through in-person and telephone interviews.
  4. Debt repayment sequencing strategies — apply independently, prioritizing obligations to prevent bankruptcy or foreclosure while reducing overall cost to the client.
  5. Service options including debt management enrollment, loan programs, and budget adjustments — explain clearly and compare objectively to help clients make informed decisions.
  6. Creditor concession policies and negotiation parameters — communicate accurately to clients and apply during routine creditor correspondence on behalf of caseload clients.
  7. Written counseling summaries and client action plans — prepare using word processing software, maintaining accuracy and professional tone for client files and agency records.
  8. Time management techniques — apply to balance a multi-client caseload, meeting session deadlines and follow-up commitments with reduced supervisory oversight.
  9. Financial education topics such as wage attachments and consumer protection law — deliver to individual clients or small groups using presentation software in agency settings.
  10. Social perceptiveness — demonstrate by recognizing client emotional or situational stressors during counseling sessions and adjusting communication approach accordingly.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Complex client financial situations involving multiple creditors, irregular income, or pending legal action — assess autonomously using full review of financial records, credit reports, and ERP or financial analysis software.
  2. Individualized debt management and financial recovery plans — design for non-routine cases, integrating bankruptcy considerations, foreclosure prevention strategies, and long-term budget restructuring.
  3. Negotiation with creditors on behalf of clients — conduct independently to secure concessions such as reduced interest rates, waived fees, or modified repayment terms.
  4. Strategic recommendations for meeting financial goals — formulate and present to clients by synthesizing deductive and inductive reasoning across multiple financial scenarios.
  5. Critical judgment on appropriate intervention type — exercise across the full scope of cases, distinguishing clients suited for debt management programs from those requiring referral to legal or bankruptcy counsel.
  6. Client financial literacy gaps — diagnose and address through targeted counseling using tailored learning strategies calibrated to each client's background and comprehension level.
  7. Information retrieval and search software — use proficiently to research current creditor policies, interest rate programs, regulatory changes, and available financial assistance resources.
  8. Inductive reasoning — apply to identify emerging financial risk patterns across a caseload and adapt counseling strategies before clients reach crisis points.
  9. Professional written reports and case documentation — produce independently at high quality, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and agency audit requirements.
  10. Network conferencing software and remote counseling platforms — use effectively to deliver full-scope financial counseling services to clients in diverse geographic or access-limited circumstances.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Agency-wide credit counseling competency frameworks and training curricula — develop and implement to elevate counselor performance across all job levels and service lines.
  2. Organizational debt management program policies and creditor relationship strategies — set and refine in coordination with executive leadership to optimize client outcomes and agency viability.
  3. Complex ethical and legal dilemmas encountered in consumer credit counseling practice — resolve at the organizational level, establishing precedents that guide practitioner judgment across the agency.
  4. Cross-functional teams of counselors, financial analysts, and compliance officers — lead and coordinate to deliver integrated financial wellness services at organizational scale.
  5. Performance data from financial analysis and ERP systems — analyze at the aggregate level to identify service gaps, benchmark counselor effectiveness, and drive continuous quality improvement.
  6. Strategic partnerships with creditors, nonprofit networks, and regulatory agencies — cultivate and manage to expand client access to concession programs, loan resources, and legal referral pathways.
  7. Emerging trends in consumer debt, bankruptcy law, and economic conditions — monitor and translate into updated agency protocols, staff learning strategies, and client-facing educational resources.
  8. Organizational budget, funding streams, and resource allocation decisions — oversee to sustain and scale high-quality counseling services within regulatory and accreditation requirements.
  9. Public-facing financial education initiatives and community outreach programs — design and champion to advance financial literacy goals beyond individual client interactions at a sector level.
  10. Mentorship and professional development structures for counseling staff — establish and sustain, modeling advanced judgment, integrity, and empathy as organizational standards of practice.

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Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Accredited Financial Counselor · Branch Credit Counselor · Certified Consumer Credit and Housing Counselor · Certified Credit and Housing Counselor · Certified Credit Consultant · Certified Credit Counselor · Consumer Credit Counselor · Consumer Lending Manager · Credit Associate · Credit Balance Specialist · Credit Card Specialist · Credit Counselor
RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
SpeakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingCritical ThinkingService OrientationActive LearningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingPersuasionNegotiationSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationTime ManagementMathematicsLearning StrategiesMonitoringSystems Evaluation
Knowledge domains
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageMathematicsAdministrativeEducation and TrainingEconomics and AccountingPsychology
Abilities
Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionProblem SensitivitySpeech ClaritySpeech RecognitionNear Vision
Work styles
DependabilityAttention to DetailIntegrityEmpathySinceritySocial Orientation
Technology
Network conferencing softwareFinancial analysis softwareData base user interface and query softwareElectronic mail softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwarePresentation softwareWord processing software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations.
  2. Explain services or policies to clients, such as debt management program rules, advantages and disadvantages of using services, or creditor concession policies.
  3. Create debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets to assist clients to meet financial goals.
  4. 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.
  5. Assess clients' overall financial situations by reviewing income, assets, debts, expenses, credit reports, or other financial information.
  6. 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.
  7. Explain general financial topics to clients, such as credit report ratings, bankruptcy laws, consumer protection laws, wage attachments, or collection actions.
  8. Interview clients by telephone or in person to gather financial information.
CIP education codes
52.080352.080452.0809

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.