Module Summary
An important role of a housing counselor is to help clients understand the importance of establishing and maintaining a good credit history in order to achieve their financial goals. In this module, you’ll learn how to analyze a client’s credit report and explain the components of a credit score. You’ll also learn to advise clients on the pitfalls of bad credit, and how to improve credit scores. Last, you’ll become familiar with consumer rights protected by credit laws and how to explain these to clients.

Module Summary Clients facing the daunting prospect of foreclosure are in crisis mode. They seek assistance with handling past due bills, determining if they can afford their home in the years to come, and working with servicers to request retention options to remain in their homes.

Module Summary
While housing counseling involves assisting clients to build and manage their finances, it is also important for housing counselors to understand how to protect assets. In this module, you’ll learn about types of predatory lending to avoid and how to protect identity information against theft and fraud. You’ll also learn about bankruptcy, including how to describe the difference between Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcies, explain the impact to financial health, and address appropriate times to discuss bankruptcy.

Module Summary
To assist clients with housing options, housing counselors can help clients determine what type of housing may be most appropriate depending on their circumstances. In this module, you’ll learn to calculate housing and debt-to-income ratios using information about income and credit. You’ll also learn to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of renting versus owning a home, including scope of payments, upfront costs, and tax implications.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, counselor will be able to: