NFEC Provides Couples Financial Counseling
Money doesn’t have to be a strain on your relationship if you’re working together to achieve positive goals. That’s the primary objective of couples financial counseling offered by the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC). This type of financial counseling is based on the premise that a couple can agree upon personal finance goals and undertake the exciting, rewarding process of reaching milestones together.
The NFEC offers financial counseling for couples that helps people jointly determine their most pressing needs and set clear goals; and then the counselor – who has received top-grade Financial Counselor Certification – gives guidance, educational resources, support, and accountability to help the couple strengthen their personal financial situation.
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The NFEC’s couples financial counseling process occurs across three phases. First stage:
In the first stage, the financial counselor will meet with the couple for an extended discovery session, assessing their current financial status, lifestyle goals, and future needs. Everything that factors into a couple’s financial health is analyzed and the financial counselor generates a written personal financial plan specific to them. (Please note that we do not provide couples counseling on your relationship. The focus is strictly on the financial elements of your life together.)
The second stage involves education and guidance
The couple meets with the financial counselor regularly to receive financial counseling resources and training designed to support them toward pre-defined goals. The couple gains experience and knowledge and prepares to make money decisions independently. The counselor records data and updates the couple’s plan as circumstances progress.
The last phase is maintenance
Where counseling sessions transition to as-needed. You’ve addressed key issues and built a solid foundation; now the counselor just stays available to help when you need timely guidance on life decisions.
Why a NFEC Financial Coach is Your Best Choice for Couples Financial Counseling
No regulations currently exist for couples financial counseling. If you search ‘financial couples counseling near me,’ or ‘credit counselors near me,’, you won’t know whether those consultants are qualified. For a counselor who provides financial marriage counseling you can trust, look for the Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant designation.
NFEC Financial Coach certification requires counselors to pass a rigorous educational program and background check. NFEC Financial Coaches must comply with NFEC standards and maintain fiduciary responsibility to the couples they counsel. In other words, your best interests must be the first priority. So although free counseling services may be available – for example, each branch of the military provides some type of free financial counseling program – a NFEC Financial Coach meets strict criteria for ethics, education, and experience.
Financial counseling for couples must deal with the emotional and behavioral aspects of money management and keep pace with the rapidly-changing financial landscape. NFEC Financial Coaches have competence and skills to support couples to work together toward financial well-being.
