Certified Debt Specialist Job Description

Certified Consumer Debt Specialist

Debt settlement professionals who pass a certification exam are awarded a professional designation called Certified Consumer Debt Specialist. The Center for Financial Certifications gives the designation. The Certified Consumer Debt Specialist designation can improve job opportunities, professional reputation, and pay, if successful applicants add it to their names.

The specialists must pay a fee every two years to keep their designation. Debt settlement is an alternative to bankruptcy that consumer debt specialists can help with. Debt settlement is the process of negotiating with the creditor to reduce their debts.

Negotiating with a collection agency is like negotiating with a credit card company. Many collection agencies will agree to take less of the owed amount than the original creditor because the junk debt buyer has purchased the debt for a fraction of the original balance. The consumer can request that collection is removed from the credit report, which is usually not the case with the original creditor.

The negative marks from the original credit card company may still be there even if the collection account is removed from the consumer credit report. Some advantages can be achieved by using a consumer debt settlement specialist. A debt collector with experience negotiating with creditor to help you achieve the best deal possible has an understanding of debt collection laws and can help you achieve the best deal.

You may not be comfortable talking to your creditor directly or struggle with how to say you want to pay your debts. You will need cash to pay your debts if you want a debt settlement plan to work. A consumer debt settlement specialist can help you come up with a realistic number to offer when negotiating.

Employee Certifications in Debt Settlement Industry

Encouraging your employees to earn a professional certification will show your clients that your company is serious about professional standards and takes care of its staff. Your clients will feel safer and more secure when they are in your care. Studies by a variety of organizations show that employees with professional certifications are more productive.

Workers who have certifications are better able to deal with day-to-day challenges and get the most out of new challenges. Certified employees are more efficient than uncertified colleagues and their presence can help improve the productivity of team projects. The Debt Settlement Industry is very active and your company should be in the top of that list.

You can either empower your staff or your company. All top companies in the debt settlement industry have IAPDA staff certifications. Since 2000 the Consumer Debt Settlement Industry has been leading with training, certification and professional development.

Debt Collectors

A debt collector is a person who is responsible for recovering debts. Their duties include making and receiving calls, negotiating payment terms and escalating complex cases. Debt Collectors with previous debt collection experience are preferred by many businesses.

Debt Collectors spend most of their time talking to customers, so experience in customer service is valuable. Candidates will be given transferrable skills in any office role. Debt Collectors and Recovery Officers try to recover debts.

Debt Collectors are hired to collect money for businesses. Recovery officers work for third-party companies that recover debts. Debt Collectors can relate to the situations non-paying customers are in.

They show compassion to the people they speak to and encourage them to repay their debts. They are persuasive people who know how to sell to non-paying customers. Debt Collectors work in fast-paced call centers so they must be able to stay calm and work efficiently.

A Qualification Test for Debt Counselors in Credit Association

Debt counselors help people who are struggling with their finances. They work for non-profit credit counseling agencies, government agencies or in a private practice. Debt counselors help clients get out of debt by reviewing their finances, helping families with budgets, and setting up payment plans.

They usually come to the job with a background in banking or finance. To get the best chance of landing a position with a credit association, candidates for the role of debt counselor should have experience in finance. A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or economics is preferred by most employers, as well as two or more years of field experience working with customers.

Candidates take the exam for accreditation after completing the required courses and work requirements. Associations use regional proctors to give the tests at a number of locations. Skills learned in training that require proficientness include the ability to counsel families with debt problems and an in-depth understanding of credit laws, debt reduction methods and mortgage rules.

Debt Collection Agents

Debt collection agencies and organizations use debt collectors to collect payments and resolve outstanding balances. They use persuasive negotiation skills to resolve conflicts, develop strategies to work with customers to resolve their debts and collect payment. Debt collection agencies communicate with individuals via telephone to collect payment on delinquent accounts.

They try to keep people from calling when they realize the call is to collect a debt. Some customers are hostile and rude when dealing with a collections agency. Debt collectors negotiate payments and settlements for their agency.

They work with customers to develop payment plans that will help them eliminate their debt, and prevent them from falling into delinquent accounts again. Debt collectors may negotiate with customers to clear the debt from their collections. Debt collectors keep records of all customer communications, including agreed-upon settlements and payment plans.

Debt Collectors ensure that records are entered and maintained accurately throughout the debt collection process to avoid legal or financial complications, and many collection agencies use software to manage customer records. Debt collectors need a high school degree. Many companies hire applicants with experience in customer service or telemarketing, and there are many opportunities for on-the-job-training.

Optio: A Credit and Collection Compliance Professional

Many parties with vested interest in debt collections are counting on agencies to do the right thing by offering certified compliance training to their employees. Debt collectors with the Credit and Collection Compliance Professional designation receive a base level of knowledge that helps them understand follow proper compliance procedures. The five-course curriculum includes a study of the issues of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as well as a review of ethical collections, policy writing and procedures.

Candidates must get a grade of 85% or higher to get their certification renewed annually. The trainer specialist designation gives the credentials for teaching core collector courses to debt collectors while also preparing them for certification as a professional collection specialist. The required courses include a seminar for training specialists.

The exam score of at least 90 is needed to get certification, while renewal is required every three years. PCS training does not require online seminars. Companies looking for a debt collection agency with certified collectors should look no further than the reputation of Optio, which has a stellar reputation for achieving full legal compliance while delivering brand protection and a favorable return on investment.