If he had any question about 'WHY WOULD YOU POST THAT??" I would simply reply that first the forums are anonymous and even though we may reveal some personal information no one from here is going to track him down and laugh at his situation and secondly I know that when I was running on my own ideas without advice my credit was not in good shape and I made poor decisions. Since reading and participating in these forums I have amended my ways and made progress. Like you I was able to become a homeowner in 2011 and I give a huge amount of credit to following advice from these forums for both repair and strengthening my credit files.
Edit to add: And I fully agree with your decision to let him do it for himself and not accept personal responsibility by putting the utilities in your name.
Starting Score: 500's