Mary, I want to move to another city and my credit rating is bad. How can I help my credit rating? I have one year to do this.

First, get a copy of your credit report. The look at every negative thing. Anything that you do not know to be true, dispute. Start paying everything on time. Write up a brief explanation for everything that is negative but that you can explain. You can submit 100 words to be included with your file. The most important thing is that you get intimately familiar with your credit report. It can be scary to face it, but don't let that keep you from moving forward. I think Experian is the easiest report to read.

Should I pay down a bigger deposit on a new house, or smaller so I can pay off credit card debt?

Pay the plastic! Get rid of all unsecured debt. That's what will sink your ship. You can always prepay your mortgage once your credit card debts are history.

I have heard that it's important to have at least enough money in your savings account to cover three months' expenses. However, I have credit card debts of almost $5,000 at an average interest rate of 19 percent. Which should I do first: concentrate on building my savings, or paying off my credit cards, or some combination of the two?