Don't score a loan goal

FIVE-MINUTE GUIDE TO... UNDERSTANDING YOUR CREDIT SCORE

- By Harvey Jones

A POOR credit score can do more than get your loan application rejected - it could cost you thousands of pounds more if you are accepted.

New research from credit experts TotallyMoney, lays bare the cost of having a bad credit history.

It found that someone taking out a £10,000 personal loan over three years might pay just £911 in interest with a good credit score, compared to a punishing £3,541 with a poor one. That's an eye-watering difference of £2,630.

M&S Bank's best buy deal for a £5,000, three-year personal loan charges an APR of just 5.9%. By comparison, so-called "subprime" lenders can charge anything from 34.9% to 99.9%, depending on credit history.

Personal loans are a popular way to spread the cost of big-ticket spending such as buying a car, consolidating debt or upgrading your home.

But many borrowers don't realise their credit score has a direct and dramatic impact on what they end up paying.