Job Duties Custom List 13-2071.00 — Credit Counselors
- Advise clients on housing matters, such as housing rental, homeownership, mortgage delinquency, or foreclosure prevention.
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- Summarize budgets and submit recommendations for the approval or disapproval of funds requests.
- Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
- Analyze monthly department budgeting and accounting reports to maintain expenditure controls.
- Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations.
- Direct the preparation of regular and special budget reports.
- Compile and analyze accounting records and other data to determine the financial resources required to implement a program.
- Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
- Interpret budget directives and establish policies for carrying out directives.
- Match appropriations for specific programs with appropriations for broader programs, including items for emergency funds.
- Consult with managers to ensure that budget adjustments are made in accordance with program changes.
- Perform cost-benefit analyses to compare operating programs, review financial requests, or explore alternative financing methods.
- Seek new ways to improve efficiency and increase profits.
- Testify before examining and fund-granting authorities, clarifying and promoting the proposed budgets.
- Summarize budgets and submit recommendations for the approval or disapproval of funds requests.
- Provide advice and technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.
- Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- Examine and evaluate financial and information systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
- Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
- Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
- Confer with company officials about financial and regulatory matters.
- Inspect cash on hand, notes receivable and payable, negotiable securities, and canceled checks to confirm records are accurate.
- Examine records and interview workers to ensure recording of transactions and compliance with laws and regulations.
- Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries.
- Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
- Establish tables of accounts and assign entries to proper accounts.
- Examine inventory to verify journal and ledger entries.
- Analyze business operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations to project future revenues and expenses or to provide advice.
- Report to management regarding the finances of establishment.
- Develop, implement, modify, and document recordkeeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology.
- Evaluate taxpayer finances to determine tax liability, using knowledge of interest and discount rates, annuities, valuation of stocks and bonds, and amortization valuation of depletable assets.
- Examine whether the organization's objectives are reflected in its management activities, and whether employees understand the objectives.
- Audit payroll and personnel records to determine unemployment insurance premiums, workers' compensation coverage, liabilities, and compliance with tax laws.
- Review taxpayer accounts, and conduct audits on-site, by correspondence, or by summoning taxpayer to office.
- Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
- Advise clients in areas such as compensation, employee health care benefits, the design of accounting or data processing systems, or long-range tax or estate plans.
- Represent clients before taxing authorities and provide support during litigation involving financial issues.
- Direct activities of personnel engaged in filing, recording, compiling, and transmitting financial records.
- Conduct pre-implementation audits to determine if systems and programs under development will work as planned.
- Develop, maintain, or analyze budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare budgeted costs to actual costs.
- Prepare, analyze, or verify annual reports, financial statements, and other records, using accepted accounting and statistical procedures to assess financial condition and facilitate financial planning.
- Process invoices for payment.
- Review data about material assets, net worth, liabilities, capital stock, surplus, income, or expenditures.
- Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- Examine and evaluate financial and information systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
- Guide clients in the gathering of information, such as bank account records, income tax returns, life and disability insurance records, pension plans, or wills.
- Recommend to clients strategies in cash management, insurance coverage, investment planning, or other areas to help them achieve their financial goals.
- Recommend financial products, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or insurance.
- Recommend environmentally responsible investments, such as cleantech, alternative energy, or conservation technologies, companies, or funds.
- Interview clients to determine their current income, expenses, insurance coverage, tax status, financial objectives, risk tolerance, or other information needed to develop a financial plan.
- Manage client portfolios, keeping client plans up-to-date.
- Implement financial planning recommendations, or refer clients to someone who can assist them with plan implementation.
- Analyze financial information obtained from clients to determine strategies for meeting clients' financial objectives.
- Answer clients' questions about the purposes and details of financial plans and strategies.
- Review clients' accounts and plans regularly to determine whether life changes, economic changes, environmental concerns, or financial performance indicate a need for plan reassessment.
- Contact clients periodically to determine any changes in their financial status.
- Investigate available investment opportunities to determine compatibility with client financial plans.
- Explain to clients the personal financial advisor's responsibilities and the types of services to be provided.
- Prepare or interpret for clients information, such as investment performance reports, financial document summaries, or income projections.
- Monitor financial market trends to ensure that client plans are responsive.
- Recruit and maintain client bases.
- Meet with clients' other advisors, such as attorneys, accountants, trust officers, or investment bankers, to fully understand clients' financial goals and circumstances.
- Devise debt liquidation plans that include payoff priorities and timelines.
- Open accounts for clients, and disburse funds from accounts to creditors as agent for clients.
- Inform clients about tax benefits, government rebates, or other financial benefits of alternative-fuel vehicle purchases or energy-efficient home construction, improvements, or remodeling.
- Conduct seminars or workshops on financial planning topics, such as retirement planning, estate planning, or the evaluation of severance packages.
- Guide clients in the gathering of information, such as bank account records, income tax returns, life and disability insurance records, pension plans, or wills.
- Recommend to clients strategies in cash management, insurance coverage, investment planning, or other areas to help them achieve their financial goals.
- Recommend financial products, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or insurance.
- Recommend environmentally responsible investments, such as cleantech, alternative energy, or conservation technologies, companies, or funds.
- Confer with clients to restructure debt, refinance debt, or raise new debt.
- Recommend investments and investment timing to companies, investment firm staff, or the public.
- Advise clients on aspects of capitalization, such as amounts, sources, or timing.
- Analyze financial or operational performance of companies facing financial difficulties to identify or recommend remedies.
- Assess companies as investments for clients by examining company facilities.
- Collaborate on projects with other professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, or public relations experts.
- Collaborate with investment bankers to attract new corporate clients.
- Conduct financial analyses related to investments in green construction or green retrofitting projects.
- Create client presentations of plan details.
- Determine the prices at which securities should be syndicated and offered to the public.
- Develop and maintain client relationships.
- Draw charts and graphs, using computer spreadsheets, to illustrate technical reports.
- Employ financial models to develop solutions to financial problems or to assess the financial or capital impact of transactions.
- Evaluate and compare the relative quality of various securities in a given industry.
- Evaluate capital needs of clients and assess market conditions to inform structuring of financial packages.
- Inform investment decisions by analyzing financial information to forecast business, industry, or economic conditions.
- Interpret data on price, yield, stability, future investment-risk trends, economic influences, and other factors affecting investment programs.
- Monitor developments in the fields of industrial technology, business, finance, and economic theory.
- Monitor fundamental economic, industrial, and corporate developments by analyzing information from financial publications and services, investment banking firms, government agencies, trade publications, company sources, or personal interviews.
- Perform securities valuation or pricing.
- Prepare all materials for transactions or execution of deals.
- Prepare plans of action for investment, using financial analyses.
- Present oral or written reports on general economic trends, individual corporations, and entire industries.
- Purchase investments for companies in accordance with company policy.
- Specialize in green financial instruments, such as socially responsible mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETF) that are comprised of green companies.
- Supervise, train, or mentor junior team members.
- Confer with clients to restructure debt, refinance debt, or raise new debt.
- Recommend investments and investment timing to companies, investment firm staff, or the public.
- Evaluate customer records and recommend payment plans, based on earnings, savings data, payment history, and purchase activity.
- Analyze credit data and financial statements to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money.
- Complete loan applications, including credit analyses and summaries of loan requests, and submit to loan committees for approval.
- Generate financial ratios, using computer programs, to evaluate customers' financial status.
- Prepare reports that include the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money.
- Analyze financial data, such as income growth, quality of management, and market share to determine expected profitability of loans.
- Compare liquidity, profitability, and credit histories of establishments being evaluated with those of similar establishments in the same industries and geographic locations.
- Consult with customers to resolve complaints and verify financial and credit transactions.
- Contact customers to collect payments on delinquent accounts.
- Review individual or commercial customer files to identify and select delinquent accounts for collection.
- Confer with credit association and other business representatives to exchange credit information.
- Evaluate customer records and recommend payment plans, based on earnings, savings data, payment history, and purchase activity.
- Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
- Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
- Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
- Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
- Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
- Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
- Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
- Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
- Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
- Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
- Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required.
- Schedule appointments with clients.
- Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
- Inform importers and exporters of steps to reduce duties and taxes.
- Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures.
- Clear goods through customs and to their destinations for clients.
- Pay, or arrange for payment of, taxes and duties on shipments.
- Calculate duty and tariff payments owed on shipments.
- Request or compile necessary import documentation, such as customs invoices, certificates of origin, and cargo-control documents.
- Classify goods according to tariff coding system.
- Stay abreast of changes in import or export laws or regulations by reading current literature, attending meetings or conferences, or conferring with colleagues.
- Sign documents on behalf of clients, using powers of attorney.
- Advise customers on import and export restrictions, tariff systems, insurance requirements, quotas, or other customs-related matters.
- Post bonds for the products being imported or assist clients in obtaining bonds.
- Quote duty and tax rates on goods to be imported, based on federal tariffs and excise taxes.
- Arrange for transportation, warehousing, or product distribution of imported or exported products.
- Monitor or trace the location of goods.
- Confer with officials in various agencies to facilitate clearance of goods through customs and quarantine.
- Obtain line releases for frequent shippers of low-risk commodities, high-volume entries, or multiple-container loads.
- Provide advice on transportation options, types of carriers, or shipping routes.
- Contract with freight forwarders for destination services.
- Apply for tariff concessions or for duty drawbacks and other refunds.
- Insure cargo against loss, damage, or pilferage.
- Prepare papers for shippers to appeal duty charges.
- Suggest best methods of packaging or labeling products.
- Maintain relationships with customs brokers in other ports to expedite clearing of cargo.
- Inform importers and exporters of steps to reduce duties and taxes.
- Install systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data or provide advice on such systems, based on examination of current financial records.
- Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
- Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
- Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
- Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
- Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.
- Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations.
- Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property.
- Check tax forms to verify that names and taxpayer identification numbers are correct, that computations have been performed correctly, or that amounts match those on supporting documentation.
- Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems.
- Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met.
- Conduct independent field audits and investigations of income tax returns to verify information or to amend tax liabilities.
- Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments.
- Review filed tax returns to determine whether claimed tax credits and deductions are allowed by law.
- Maintain knowledge of tax code changes, and of accounting procedures and theory to properly evaluate financial information.
- Process individual and corporate income tax returns, and sales and excise tax returns.
- Request that the state or federal revenue service prepare a return on a taxpayer's behalf in cases where taxes have not been filed.
- Investigate claims of inability to pay taxes by researching court information for the status of liens, mortgages, or financial statements, or by locating assets through third parties.
- Review selected tax returns to determine the nature and extent of audits to be performed on them.
- Examine accounting systems and records to determine whether accounting methods used were appropriate and in compliance with statutory provisions.
- Participate in informal appeals hearings on contested cases from other agents.
- Prepare briefs and assist in searching and seizing records to prepare charges and documentation for court cases.
- Enter tax return information into computers for processing.
- Secure a taxpayer's agreement to discharge a tax assessment or submit contested determinations to other administrative or judicial conferees for appeals hearings.
- Install systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data or provide advice on such systems, based on examination of current financial records.
- Adjust reserves or provide reserve recommendations to ensure that reserve activities are consistent with corporate policies.
- Examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage.
- Analyze information gathered by investigation and report findings and recommendations.
- Pay and process claims within designated authority level.
- Investigate, evaluate, and settle claims, applying technical knowledge and human relations skills to effect fair and prompt disposal of cases and to contribute to a reduced loss ratio.
- Verify and analyze data used in settling claims to ensure that claims are valid and that settlements are made according to company practices and procedures.
- Review police reports, medical treatment records, medical bills, or physical property damage to determine the extent of liability.
- Investigate and assess damage to property and create or review property damage estimates.
- Interview or correspond with agents and claimants to correct errors or omissions and to investigate questionable claims.
- Interview or correspond with claimants, witnesses, police, physicians, or other relevant parties to determine claim settlement, denial, or review.
- Enter claim payments, reserves and new claims on computer system, inputting concise yet sufficient file documentation.
- Resolve complex, severe exposure claims, using high service oriented file handling.
- Confer with legal counsel on claims requiring litigation.
- Examine claims investigated by insurance adjusters, further investigating questionable claims to determine whether to authorize payments.
- Maintain claim files, such as records of settled claims and an inventory of claims requiring detailed analysis.
- Refer questionable claims to investigator or claims adjuster for investigation or settlement.
- Collect evidence to support contested claims in court.
- Contact or interview claimants, doctors, medical specialists, or employers to get additional information.
- Present cases and participate in their discussion at claim committee meetings.
- Report overpayments, underpayments, and other irregularities.
- Attend mediations or trials.
- Supervise claims adjusters to ensure that adjusters have followed proper methods.
- Conduct detailed bill reviews to implement sound litigation management and expense control.
- Communicate with reinsurance brokers to obtain information necessary for processing claims.
- Prepare reports to be submitted to company's data processing department.
- Examine titles to property to determine validity and act as company agent in transactions with property owners.
- Obtain credit information from banks and other credit services.
- Communicate with former associates to verify employment record or to obtain background information regarding persons or businesses applying for credit.
- Negotiate claim settlements or recommend litigation when settlement cannot be negotiated.
- Adjust reserves or provide reserve recommendations to ensure that reserve activities are consistent with corporate policies.
- Counsel clients on personal and family financial problems, such as excessive spending or borrowing of funds.
- Meet with applicants to obtain information for loan applications and to answer questions about the process.
- Analyze applicants' financial status, credit, and property evaluations to determine feasibility of granting loans.
- Approve loans within specified limits, and refer loan applications outside those limits to management for approval.
- Explain to customers the different types of loans and credit options that are available, as well as the terms of those services.
- Submit applications to credit analysts for verification and recommendation.
- Review loan agreements to ensure that they are complete and accurate according to policy.
- Review and update credit and loan files.
- Obtain and compile copies of loan applicants' credit histories, corporate financial statements, and other financial information.
- Work with clients to identify their financial goals and to find ways of reaching those goals.
- Handle customer complaints and take appropriate action to resolve them.
- Stay abreast of new types of loans and other financial services and products to better meet customers' needs.
- Market bank products to individuals and firms, promoting bank services that may meet customers' needs.
- Analyze potential loan markets and develop referral networks to locate prospects for loans.
- Compute payment schedules.
- Supervise loan personnel.
- Prepare reports to send to customers whose accounts are delinquent, and forward irreconcilable accounts for collector action.
- Set credit policies, credit lines, procedures and standards in conjunction with senior managers.
- Assist in selection of financial award candidates using electronic databases to certify loan eligibility.
- Authorize or sign mail collection letters.
- Calculate amount of debt and funds available to plan methods of payoff and to estimate time for debt liquidation.
- Confer with underwriters to resolve mortgage application problems.
- Contact applicants or creditors to resolve questions about applications or to assist with completion of paperwork.
- Contact borrowers with delinquent accounts to obtain payment in full or to negotiate repayment plans.
- Establish payment priorities according to credit terms and interest rates to reduce clients' overall costs.
- Inform individuals and groups about the financial assistance available to college or university students.
- Maintain and review account records, updating and recategorizing them according to status changes.
- Match individuals' needs and eligibility with available financial aid programs to provide informed recommendations.
- Review accounts to determine write-offs for collection agencies.
- Review billing for accuracy.
- Counsel clients on personal and family financial problems, such as excessive spending or borrowing of funds.
