Why these skills and services are important

You know from personal and professional experience how tough it can be for people financially.

When consumers are in financial trouble, there are many non-profit agencies to help them. But that means, they have to leave your premises to find help. Be their first line of guidance and they may not need any outside help.

When consumers have money to invest, there are plenty of places for them to find guidance on where and how to employ those funds. Brokerage houses, financial planners, and many insurance professionals provide investment and retirement planning.

But, what about those millions of households between those two extremes?

It's that wide-open middle space where financial-life coaching comes in. In growing numbers, people are turning to corporate and personal coaches to help them stretch their thinking and abilities, to find dormant strengths within, and thereby find new levels of accomplishment and satisfaction.

A financial-life coach helps people see how their attitudes and habits have shaped their financial lives and financial status. A coach therefore needs to be trained in the art of coaching, and understand the essentials of money management. Clients can go from spending it all, teetering on the brink of financial difficulty, to building a cushion — the proverbial nest egg — and have enough money saved eventually to require financial planning expertise. Go to Dan's coaching site.

Clark imagines a time that credit counselors and financial-life coaches will work together to move people along a path from stressed, to balanced, and onto financial freedom. Financial institutions, insurance brokerages, real estate firms and others can train their employees and participate in this movement.

It is with that vision that Clark created the series of workshops offered here and is the workshop facilitator. Read Testimonials.  Read Dr. Fred Waddell's Letter.

Credit counselors can come together at these workshops and not only share their skills and knowledge, but also begin networking to the benefit of U.S. consumers across the country.

In the late 1980's, he was instrumental in making a Consumer Credit Counseling Service a part of his community, and he continues to play a role. He also contributes his time to other local efforts that provide financially oriented knowledge and service: he was instrumental in establishing local credit unions as a classroom resource, and  he is a Junior Achievement instructor.

During his nearly two decades of service in a credit union, he noticed a serious gap in the support to middle-income consumers. People in financial trouble and people with money have resources. People who make enough but can't seem to save anything also need resources. So, as the national movement for financial literacy heats up, and non-profit organizations, including credit unions, will be gearing up their efforts, DCA hereby lends its support by providing credit counseling/financial coach training.