Certified Financial Health Counselor (Exam Included)

Staying financially healthy is important regardless of the economic climate. To provide financial health counseling, one must have a strong knowledge of core financial and credit concepts. This course will prepare you for a career in financial counseling as an independent counselor or a consultant to other businesses supporting individuals.

You will learn skills that can be applied to counseling disciplines such as housing counselor, student loan counselor, or financial coach. Upon successful...

SHARE
6 Months / 80 Course Hrs
Open Enrollment
Offered in partnership with your preferred school

Borough of Manhattan Community College

Change School
Learning method

for additional information

Certified Financial Health Counselor (Exam Included)

Enroll Now

Course code: GES2029

What you will learn

  • Credit industry and scoring knowledge
  • Credit/financial counselor ethics
  • Banking and finance essentials
  • Counseling, motivation and communication techniques
  • Fundamentals of consumer protection law
  • Housing, retirement, and student loan information

How you will benefit

  • You will learn effective counseling techniques for guiding clients towards reaching financial goals
  • You will learn banking and credit fundamentals needed to educate clients and help them eliminate debt and improve credit scores
  • Contains credit counselor ethics and other information to help future counselors work ethically, professionally and legally
  • You will receive the Certified Financial Health Counselor designation after passing the final exam

How the course is taught

  • Self-paced, online course
  • 6 Months to complete
  • Open enrollment, begin anytime
  • 80 course hours
  1. The Defining Role of the Financial Counselor
    1. The Components of Financial Well-Being
    2. Establishing the Client/Counselor Relationship
    3. Rapport Building
    4. Poverty, Culture and Socioeconomic Variables
    5. Active Listening
    6. Asking the Right Questions
  2. Taking Control of Finances
    1. The Problem-Solving Process
    2. Where the Client is Now
    3. Where the Client Wants to Go
    4. How the Client will Get There
  3. Demystifying Consumer Credit
    1. Banking Basics
    2. Credit Basics
    3. Choosing Credit Wisely
    4. Using Credit Wisely
    5. Understanding Credit Reports
    6. Credit Scoring
  4. Understanding and Dealing with Debt
    1. Getting Into Debt
    2. Debt Collection
    3. The Consequences of Unpaid Debt
    4. Getting Out of Debt
    5. Bankruptcy
  5. Financial Counselor Today
    1. Ethics
    2. Consumer Resources
    3. Consumer Protection Legislation
    4. Housing Part 1
    5. Housing Part 2
    6. Housing Part 3
    7. Student Financial Aid
    8. Retirement Planning

Bonnie Canty

Bonnie Canty is an attorney licensed in five states: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra School of Law and practices general law through her firm ABC Law, PLLC. She has been hired by several businesses and organizations to train, coach, and consult. Canty currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial and Career Counseling Professionals and has been a Certified Financial Counselor for almost two decades.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
  • Computer must have stable Internet access.
  • Speakers and video capabilities are required for viewing lecture videos.
  • Access to webcam for final exam proctoring.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Yes, by passing the final exam of the course you will be a certified financial health counselor.

This course is open enrollment, so you can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Access to your course can take 24-48 business hours.

This course is self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start when you want and finish at your own pace. When you register, you'll receive six (6) months to complete the course.

The time allotted for course completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours. However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to see what options you may have available to work out a suitable completion date. Please note that an extension fee may be charged.

Our courses are designed to accommodate various learning preferences. Depending on the course structure, you may get different forms of support. Self-paced courses are designed to be user-friendly and independent, minimizing the need for external support. In courses with instructors, our direct platform support feature includes opportunities for questions, discussions, and remediation, with email and phone support available for select courses. Our student advising team is available to guide you on program requirements and administrative requests, but they do not provide assistance with course content. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary support for success, whether it's through self-paced exploration, direct communication, or guidance from our advising team.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.

This course will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

This course is non-credit, so it does not qualify for federal aid, FAFSA and Pell Grant. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements. Financing is available from select schools. Learn more about financial assistance.

If you have questions that are not answered on our website, representatives are available via LIVE chat. You can also call us at 1-877-221-5151 during regular business hours to have your questions promptly answered. If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please send us a question using the "Contact Us" form.