Every year approximately seven million loan and credit card applications are turned down by lenders, according to the Debt Advisory Service, and almost all will be because the people applying have poor credit scores.

If you're one of them or not, but you want to improve your score, here's five simple things you can do.

Register to vote

Ensure you are on the electoral roll and are listed at your current address. It's the first thing lenders check. If you aren't on public record as being resident at your address your credit score will plummet.

It's really easy to register and can all be done online here. If you’re not sure if you’re registered, you’ll need to check with your local authority which you can do here.

Make your repayments on time

Whether it's car insurance premiums or loan repayments, paying on time is a crucial way to boost your credit score because lenders like people who stick to the schedule, so to speak. It's why mortgage holders are given credit for paying their premiums on time every month, and it's something tenants can now do as well. Register with CreditLadder and start adding your rental payments to your credit file. CreditLadder is the only way to improve your credit score and position across all three of the main Credit Reference Agencies in the UK, namely Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

Close accounts

Closing old or little-used accounts and consolidating your lending across fewer, well-maintained accounts will have a beneficial impact on your credit score. Unused or rarely used accounts can have a negative effect because prospective lenders will take your combined credit limits into account when calculating your score.

Another useful tip is to never max out your cards and keep the outstanding balance well within your agreed credit limit.

Regularly check your credit report

This is a step very few of us take and yet it is an easy and practical way to ensure your credit score is as high as it can be. Lenders can make mistakes and include erroneous information on your file. Removing those errors and ensuring your credit report is accurate will maximise your credit score.Under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act (1974) everyone has the right to inspect the information lenders are using to determine an applicant's credit worthiness. You can check your report for free here.

And while you're at it, check who is linked to your credit file. Having someone linked to you through a joint account could affect your score if they have a poor rating. Try and a close any old joint accounts that you don’t use.

CreditLadder can help you improve your credit score

If you want to improve your credit position by reporting your rent payments, CreditLadder is the only way to improve your credit score and position across all four of the main Credit Reference Agencies in the UK, namely Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Crediva. Building up a high credit score has a lot of benefits, including helping you access finance at better rates - this can also help save you money.

CreditLadder also runs a free mortgage application service in partnership with Tembo which will tell you how much you could borrow.

Remember the information provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be considered as advice.