AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Specialist Carol Ehlers has been certified as an Accredited Financial Counselor by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education.
Ehlers completed the association’s national exam and 1,000 hours of applied experience in financial counseling to achieve the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) designation. This represents the highest standards of excellence in the field of financial counseling and education. The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education is a nonprofit organization nationally recognized as a leader in financial counseling, coaching and education.
Ehlers, of Storm Lake, is a human sciences specialist in family finance. She serves Audubon, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie, Ida, Pocahontas, Sac and Shelby counties.
“This recognition and achievement enhances the value of family finance educational opportunities available from ISU Extension and Outreach,” said Ehlers. “The Accredited Financial Counselor designation sets our education apart from other financial programs in Northwest Iowa.”
The financial counseling and planning program that Ehlers completed prepares educators to work with individuals and families to help them improve their abilities to plan and meet financial goals and make financial decisions. AFC professionals provide a holistic counseling framework of life cycle financial education. This allows the professional to provide a high-level, tailored approach based on the needs of each client to effectively analyze and create lasting financial behavior change.
Accredited Financial Counselors educate clients in sound financial principles and help them work to reduce debt. AFC professionals help their clients identify and change ineffective money management behaviors, and develop successful strategies for achieving their financial goals.
“We support clients as they work through their financial challenges and opportunities,” Ehlers said. “We also help clients develop new perspectives on the dynamics of money in relation to family, friends and individual self-esteem.”
Ehlers has been a human sciences specialist in family finance with ISU Extension and Outreach since August 2015. Previously she served as a 4-H youth field specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, a 4-H agent with Kansas State University Extension Service, and a supervisor and customer activities adviser with Kansas Power and Light Company, Manhattan, Kan.
According to the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, a growing number of financial industry positions, as well as financial counseling and advising positions for the military branches, are requiring financial counselors to have an Accredited Financial Counselor designation.
The Accredited Financial Counselor certification also has been accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The NCCA accredits certifying programs based on the highest quality standards in professional certification to ensure the programs adhere to modern standards of practice for the certification industry.
[PHOTO] Carol Ehlers