Credit managers are usually in high demand because of the number of people each year who need lines of credit to make life-changing purchases, such as a new home, a new car, or a property for a small business. In order to secure a position in this field, taking the right credit management courses is absolutely necessary. Some of the best programs in credit management are those that cover a wide variety of relevant topics, from international credit to how to handle credit fraud. Schools such as the National Association of Credit Management (NACM) in the United States provide interested students with many course options both on-campus and online.
There are a number of different topics that you should cover when learning about credit management. Naturally, any program you are considering should cover the basics of the trade. These introductory lectures may include such topics as how to determine the legitimacy of a credit application, how to decipher the terms of service included in any credit contract, and the ins and outs of the procedures customers go through for credit approval.
Teaching students about the underlying principles of credit should be a main focus for a program's credit management courses. An important factor of managing credit is to mitigate credit risk, in other words to reduce the chance of the customer declaring bankruptcy or forfeiting on his or her debt payments. Any reputable training program in this field should offer courses in credit risk management or debt management.
High-quality training programs should also provide students with recognized certification upon completion of the credit management courses. The NACM and similar associations outside of the United States provide certification that is recognized by banking, investment and insurance professionals who hire talented credit managers. Taking courses from a recognized institution or trade association ensures that you will get the best credit management education available.
If money is a concern, these associations often offer online courses at a less expensive rate than those for onsite courses. Online credit management courses are usually more intensive and require you to be highly self-motivated. You also must be able to manage your time more effectively in order to stay on track with the course syllabus.
Another option for those who wish to learn more about credit management but do not currently have the means to fund a complete education in this subject may also want to consider shorter webinars and seminars. These seminars focus on very specific credit management courses. Taking a number of them in aggregate can be a good substitute to taking an entire credit management course of study.