Final answer:
Negative items on a credit report include late or missed payments, loan defaults, bankruptcies, and using a significant portion of available credit. Improving credit involves timely bill payments and not overusing credit. Personal behaviors like online conduct do not directly impact credit reports but can indirectly affect financial stability through employment opportunities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Negative items on a person's credit report can significantly influence a lender's decision when reviewing a loan application. These negative items often reflect a borrower's financial responsibilities and their ability to repay debts. Some key negative factors include late payments on loans, defaulting on loans, bankruptcy, foreclosures, and high credit card balances in relation to credit limits.
It is important to remember that while a credit report reflects past and present financial behaviors, factors like race, gender, and religion do not influence credit decisions. Moreover, a bad credit score is not permanent and can be improved by paying all your bills on time and using a moderate amount of the credit available to you.
Other details such as a person's education and employment history can also play a role, as they might affect a person's earnings and financial stability. However, behaviors not directly related to financial responsibilities, such as bad mouthing a previous employer or posting inappropriate pictures online, do not have a direct impact on credit reports. These actions might affect employment opportunities, which indirectly could affect someone's financial situation.