Consumers are turning to products that can improve their credit rating or secure credit without a good rating, as lenders clamp down on access to mortgages, loans and credit cards in the UK.

A poor credit rating can mean that interest rates are higher by more than 10 percentage points for credit cards and 3 percentage points for mortgages. As a result, more consumers are taking an interest in their personal credit rating score and how they can improve it, credit rating agencies say.