Will applying for (and receiving) a debt-consolidation loan damage my credit?

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 [...] http://bit.ly/k0mIid