By STEVE BUCCI, bankrate.com

Dear Debt Adviser,

I have a few charge-offs on my credit report. They have been paid in full for almost a year now. Can (the credit bureaus) keep them on my credit report, or are they suppose to change it? Also, what can I do to fix this to get my credit score up? Thank you.

-- Rachel

Dear Rachel,

Dear Debt Adviser,

I recently sold my home in New York in a short sale after 14 years. At the time of the sale, the amount owed on the house was $390,500. We sold it for $187,917, which leaves $202,583 to be forgiven. How much of this amount is taxable?

-- Darren

Dear Darren,

Dear Debt Adviser,

Debt Adviser,

Debt Adviser,

In 2005, due to many circumstances, my home went into foreclosure. The questions I have are, after the seven years does it come off my credit report or do I have to ask for it to be taken off from the three bureaus? Also, will I be able to get a house at any point after that time?

-- Tina

Dear Tina,

Dear Debt Adviser,

Dear Debt Adviser,

Dear Debt Adviser,

I have recently completed a debt-management program and have paid off all of my credit-card debt. Since this was done by closing all the credit cards I used to have, I no longer have any credit cards. I currently have an auto loan that I have been paying on time for a little over two years.

A great deal has changed in the past year, and even more has changed over the decade since we ushered in 2000. I recall that the world as we knew it might have ended due to us being unprepared for the dreaded Y2K bug, lurking in our computer networks.