Attempting to get past negative items on your credit report can be something of a challenge. The following items can linger on your report.

- Bankruptcy

The length of time a bankruptcy stays on your credit report depends on which kind you file. The two typical types of bankruptcies are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.A Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which involves liquidating many of your assets to pay off your debts, will stay on your report for 10 years. Chapter 13 bankruptcy where you keep most of your property and puts you on a strict payment plan for seven years.

- High credit utilization

Hypothetically having high credit utilization on one of your credit cards only has to sting for about 30 days. Your issuer sends a balance update to the three major credit bureaus once per month. If yours runs high one month, but then you pay it off before the next report rolls around, the new information will substitute the old.

- Civil judgment

If a judge in a civil suit rules against you, the damages you owe are usually reported to the credit bureaus. In general, this material will stay on your credit report for at least seven years.

- Foreclosure

Very much like a bankruptcy, a foreclosure is a serious event. If you fail to make payments on your home and the bank seizes it, this will be reported to the credit bureaus and the mark will stay on your credit report for seven years. You should expect to have a very difficult time obtaining a loan in the years following a foreclosure. Keep your expectations reasonable if you need to apply for new credit.

- Hard inquiry

One will show up on your credit report every time you apply for a new loan. It will stay there for about two years and cause a temporary dip in your FICO score for approximately six months after your application. This is why it's a good idea to apply only for credit you actually need.

- Delinquency

Getting behind on a bill payment is certainly not good. Most delinquencies remain on your credit report for seven years; also be aware that the longer the delinquency endures, the more likely it is to adversely affect your credit score. For example, a 90-day delinquency is going to cause a greater loss of points than a 30-day delinquency.