A reader asks…

I have numerous debts (car payments, student loans, a few credit cards, and a signifcant personal debt owed to a friend) that I’d like to roll into one monthly payment (which would hopefully be smaller than the amount I currently pay for each one as a separate monthly bill).
Some people have advised me to apply for a debt-consolidation loan. My question is, will doing so affect my credit negatively? Do they even include student loans in debt-consolidation?

A reader asks…

I heard on CNN Headline News that you can obtain one free credit report per year from each of the 4 major credit bureaus.
Does anyone know the names of each credit bureau, the number to call (or address) and what you need to do to get a copy of your credit report?

A reader asks…

Basically, how current is the credit agencies records?
Under normal conditions, my credit utilizaiton varies wildly.
When applying for credit, I generally want 10-20% credit utilization. I can make that happen, but I wanted to know:
How long after I make it 10-20% should I apply for credit?
How long do I need to hold my credit utilization at 10-20%?