Michele Singletary si on vacation for the next two weeks. Here she answers some recent questions on the throny question of debt:

Question: I'd like to pay off a couple of credit cards. If I pay them off and carry a zero balance, will that have an adverse effect on my credit report? Or should I pay them off and then use them minimally and pay off the balance each month? I'm hoping to refinance my house before interest rates go up too much higher.

Answer: I get this question a lot and it defies common sense.

Paying off credit card debt — and staying out of debt — is always a good thing. And no, you don't have to use the cards to boost your credit score. As I tell people over and over again, the No. 1 way to get a better credit score is to pay your bills on time, not by using credit.

Question: My husband and I bought a home last October. He had substantial credit card debt in his name before we married. I had zero debt and I have had one credit card in my name for the last two years. I attempted to get credit to purchase furniture and was denied. Is his credit affecting my ability to obtain credit?

Answer: I'm sorry, but you can't blame this on your hubby. The fact is his credit history did not migrate to your credit file when you married. His credit history stayed his, and yours, yours. It's probably the purchase of the home that led to your credit denial. Creditors have become a lot tougher on granting new credit. You just bought a home — a big purchase and a big debt.

However, you should check your credit files. Have you paid any bills late? That could have resulted in your credit denial. Anyway, when it comes to couples and credit, your history only merges when you have debt together (i.e., the house).

Question: Is this a really bad time to purchase a new car? We financed the Hyundai Tucson we just bought. We found a brand new 2009 base model, with a manual transmission, on the dealer lot and managed to get over $5,000 off the price. We gave my nine-year-old Saturn with 140,000 miles to my very deserving son-in-law, who was driving a complete disaster of a car. We were happy, but suddenly we're wondering if we should have just kept our Saturn and stayed put. What sayeth you?

Answer: I sayeth it's a moot point. The deed is done. You got what appears to be a good deal and you helped out a relative. So roll down the car windows, enjoy the summer breezes and stop worrying about it.