Ent Credit Union empowers members through financial coaching and $700K in debt payoff
Ent Credit Union's financial coaching program has helped members pay off over $700,000 in debt so far in 2025. Backed by 140 Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors, the initiative blends FiCEP training with personalized coaching and deep community reach.
In the first half of 2025 alone, Ent Credit Union helped members pay off more than $700,000 in debt through its expanding financial coaching program.
Staffed by 140 certified counselors and designed to meet the growing financial needs of its community across Colorado's Front Range (the densely populated economic and cultural region along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains), the program combines technical training with human connection.
The engine behind Ent's coaching success is its customized in-house version of the Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP)—a national training course that equips credit union staff with the skills and knowledge to become Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors (CCUFC). The program covers topics such as budgeting, credit reports, debt repayment, and member communication, all with a focus on helping people improve their financial well-being and be more confident when making financial decisions.
From designation to delivery: how FiCEP fuels real coaching
Ent has certified 140 employees as Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors, with about 95 currently active in coaching roles. Those numbers reflect not just scale, but intentional development: each group of staff members goes through the training together on the same schedule. They attend workshops, complete assignments, and support one another as they prepare for the certification exam. This cohort-based approach helps reinforce learning and builds a strong coaching culture.
Emma Protsik, Ent's supervisor of financial coaching, leads each cohort from start to finish, helping staff register, study, and pass the certification exam. "We talk about how to take the FiCEP material and use it in-house—our systems, our compliance," she explained. Graduates participate in an in-person ceremony before beginning their new roles as financial coaches. In a recent session, 20 new counselors completed training and began meeting with members the following week.
But training doesn't stop after certification. Monthly touchpoints led by Protsik help new coaches stay connected, ask questions, and grow their skills over time.
Personalized support, real-life impact
While Ent's coaching program runs at nearly all of its 60 branch locations, virtual coaching has also expanded access. Whether in person or online, the process begins with a phone consultation to ensure the coaching relationship is a good fit and tailored to the member's goals from day one.
About 85% of referrals to Ent's financial coaching program come from frontline staff during everyday conversations. "Members don't always come in asking for coaching," Protsik said. "They come in with a problem they don't know how to tackle and our staff helps connect them." This integration of financial coaching into regular service interactions has been key to the program's growth. Campaigns and promotions also bring in members and non-members alike. Through mid-July this year, Ent coaches had already held 724 sessions, including dozens with people outside the membership base.
Top coaching topics include budgeting (29.7%), debt management (24.8%), credit building or rebuilding (each at 11.9%), and savings (11.9%). Other conversations may touch on major life transitions, financial stress, or housing challenges. One family's coach helped them build a budget and paydown plan to secure a rental home near relatives. "Instead of having to move away from family, they were able to move closer," Protsik recalled.
Coaching culture grows from the inside out
Beyond the immediate benefit to members, the program is also strengthening Ent's staff culture. According to Protsik, team members report improved job satisfaction, stronger performance, and a better sense of purpose after becoming certified.
That internal culture is paired with an external impact. In addition to helping members pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, coaches are creating ripple effects like generating referrals for mortgages and consumer loans or connecting members to financial literacy resources.
Protsik credits the program's success to both the flexibility of FiCEP and the support of a wider coaching community. "Don't be afraid to just dive in (to FiCEP and into creating a financial coaching program)," she said. "There's a whole community behind you. We share resources constantly, and everyone is willing to help."
As the program continues to grow, so does Ent's ability to meet people where they are—helping them move forward financially, one coaching session at a time.
Learn more about the Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP) and see how other credit unions are leveraging this program to make a difference from Texas to Michigan.
