You may have noticed the letters “CCUFC” in a PACU email signature or on a business card and wondered what they mean. CCUFC stands for Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor, a designation earned by credit union professionals who complete specialized training in personal finance, credit, budgeting and member guidance.

In this episode of Headlines and Fine Print, PACU President & CEO Dion Williams sat down with April Young, branch manager of our University location and a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor, to discuss how this certification helps employees better serve members every day.

How Does Someone Become a CCUFC?

April: Well, first, any PACU employee can become a CCUFC to better understand credit union financial services and serve our members more effectively. We currently have 15 CCUFCs, including all our branch managers and several teammates in both the branch and the back office.

How someone becomes certified is through a series of live interactive videos and webinars featuring people from different credit unions throughout the year, with a test at the end of the year.

How Do You Use Your CCUFC Certification in Your Interactions with Members?

April: Having this certification enhances everything I do, including learning new strategies and techniques to help me find the right financial path for the member I am working with.

Something I have found that is extremely helpful is whenever a member comes in and doesn’t know how to work with their credit, we’re able to assist them, showing them how to get their free annual credit report, and walking them through the process of not only understanding their credit, but also ways to improve it if needed.

Dion: You mentioned credit reports. I’m sure that’s a major topic with members, because they may not even know what’s on their reports.

April: Yes, that’s correct. Many members need help in understanding their credit reports because they either believed a problem had been resolved or were unaware of it initially. It’s rewarding to see that moment of realization during conversations and to help shed light on financial topics like this.

Is There a Particular Story of You Assisting a Member that Stands Out to You?

April: One young lady reached out to me asking for help with an issue on her credit report. And I sat there with her as she reached out to the credit bureau, and we were able to clear up the situation. They were able to charge it off and reduce it, and she was able to pay what she needed to.

It was a great joy to help her, and now she can continue to grow in her financial journey with the tools we discovered together.

Dion: One of the cool parts of this work is that you get to learn tips and tricks that you can apply to your own life as well.

April: Absolutely. For me, having been in this career for 25 years, I am looking forward to my future retirement. In one of the CCUFC certification webinars, a young woman asked questions about spending and budgeting, which made me stop and think, “If I want to retire someday soon, I need to adjust my spending habits so that I am financially prepared.” I am always learning new ways to help my members and myself be as financially successful as possible, and that’s something I appreciate about being a certified financial counselor.

Dion: One of the things that I really have loved about working in credit unions is that when members come in and talk to us, it’s not like we’re this all-knowing person that has all the answers, but rather that we’ve lived the lives that they’ve lived, and know some of the struggles they are facing.

It’s exactly where we’ve come through, and we draw on that experience, along with the book knowledge from the certification, to help guide them.

Do More Members Come to You Asking for Budgeting Advice, or Something Else, Such as Applying for a Loan?

April: More so on the latter. When members schedule an appointment, they fill out a questionnaire. One of the questions on the questionnaire is: What brought you in? What’s the big picture? They may want a checking or savings account. But why? Why exactly do you want this? And they may say “just for my direct deposit” or similar.

And I will say, “That’s for right now, but overall, what are you looking to do? What do you want out of this experience?” Because I want to be on this journey with you. That’s one of the questions that I love asking members. Sometimes they hadn’t thought that far ahead, so we opened the door to having those larger conversations about their long-term financial goals.

How Can Becoming a CCUFC or Working with One Can Improve Lives?

April: From an employee standpoint, becoming a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor is a great opportunity to learn, because we should always be learning. Also, the certification really opens a whole new world you know nothing about. Then, once you’re certified and working with a member, you gain a new understanding.

From the members’ perspective, working with a CCUFC is a game-changer for those looking to really dive into their financial goals or problems and create an actionable plan.

This is why we’re doing what we are doing and learning, enhancing our skill set so we can help you navigate your financial future. We teach budgeting, walk you through a plan, and show you how to consolidate a multifaceted set of expenses to improve your financial future.

Dion: Exactly. Even from a member’s perspective that they’re confident in their credit score, they’re confident in their ability to repay, and all that, it still takes a lot of humility to come in and ask for a loan or ask for help on something. But the thing with credit unions is that we want everybody to know it’s a safe space, and we’re there for the journey with you.

Catch Us Next Time on Headlines and Fine Print

Next episode will be our 50^th and final episode, so make sure you keep an eye out for that very special edition of Headlines and Fine Print.  Want to listen to past episodes? Check out our Spotify and YouTube.

In the meantime, know that we’re here looking beyond the headlines into the fine print so members can get the information they need to be well-informed financial consumers.

Keep reading below for more insight into this episode’s guest, April Young.

What Character in Entertainment Have You Drawn Inspiration from Related to Your Field?

April: So, believe it or not, Matlock, not the new series that’s on, but the old Matlock with Andy Griffith.

Dion: With the seersucker suit.

April: Yes! I loved Matlock growing up, and I watched it with my grandma, so that made it extra special. Matlock always went above and beyond to help people. That’s what I do. I go above and beyond, just like Matlock.

Dion: I love that answer. Since hosting the show, I’ll answer this one for myself on this episode. One of the shows that I drew inspiration from growing up, and probably for anybody who knows me well, is not a surprise: Family Ties, with Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) as the character.

Like this guy, who was not that tall in stature, who was all fired up about banking and politics and all those things. Our last episode was on advocacy in the political arena for credit unions. So that’s kind of one for me, that when I was younger, I loved that show, and that character sent me down that path.

Ultimately, what won me over was working as a peak-time credit union employee during college, which sparked my interest in banking and finance.

April: I can totally see that for you. That is a great show.

About Our Guest

April has worked at Piedmont Advantage Credit Union for over 25 years and is currently the branch manager at our University location.

April: The credit union is a wonderful place to be a part of. I have grown up in the credit union world. I originally started at a bank, which was a little different, but I ended up at the credit union. We believe in helping people, and that’s what I do.