UNPARALLELED STANDARDS AND CREDENTIALS
Hiring qualified people is just the first step to ensuring the highest level of service. From rigorous accountability tests and measures to the certification we require of our financial counselors, our services and programs are delivered by people who not only love what they do, but are proven professionals.

THE HIGHEST STANDARDS
Consistently excellent customer service is critical to you – and to us. We know how frustrating long hold times, substandard assistance, and misinformation is. That is something you will never experience when contacting BALANCE.

NEVER THE ENDLESS RING
All calls to our InfoLine are answered promptly. Courteous, knowledgeable, and ready to help, your member or employee will experience the true meaning of customer service.

IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE
Because our InfoLine counselors are qualified to discuss most financial issues immediately, there is rarely a need to transfer calls to someone else. Callers are often pleasantly surprised by how promptly and thoroughly we can help with even complicated financial questions.

EXPERIENCED AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF
We are intensely proud of our staff members, who are hired not only for their knowledge base, but also their compassion and commitment to helping clients achieve financial success. Our staff includes BAs, MAs, JDs, MSWs, Certified Financial Planners and certified credit report reviewers.

CONTINUOUS INTERNAL TRAINING
Financial data and laws are in constant flux. So we can provide clients with the most current information possible, we provide ongoing training to our entire staff. Topics include:

  • The Art of Financial Counseling
  • Basics of Credit and Debt
  • Credit History and Credit Reports
  • The Collection Process
  • The Legal Process
  • Bankruptcy
  • Homeowner Issues
  • Taxes
  • Landlord and Renter issues
  • Divorce and Support
  • Student Loans
  • Vehicle Issues

 

  

CERTIFIED COUNSELOR TRAINING
All of our counselors are required to successfully complete 160 hours of training and become certified with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) as credit counselors within one year of hire. The certification examination and corresponding study materials were developed in conjunction with Purdue University. The exams test the knowledge in the following areas:

  • Consumer Rights & Responsibilities
  • Spending Plans & Budgeting
  • Credit & Borrowing
  • Debt Management & Bankruptcy
  • Challenging Issues
  • Counseling Principles & Processes
  • Housing Counseling
  • Outreach Program
  • Insurance Counseling
  • Savings & Investments
  • Retirement Planning
  • Effective Shopping Decisions

According to recent independent observers in the media, NFCC's standards for counselor training are more rigorous and thorough than those of similar organizations.