Once upon a time, a young woman named Goldilocks wanted to refinance her mortgage. She visited a website she saw advertised on TV and filled out a form for a rate quote. Some she received were too big. Others were too small. One was just right, so she allowed the website to pass her information along to the lender who offered it.

Has past money mismanagement or just plain bad luck tarnished your credit history? Have retailers, banks and other lenders denied you leases, loans and credit cards as a result? If so, you’re not alone. According to Kelly Davies, Chief Communications Officer at Amigo Loans, a UK company offering guarantor loans for people with poor or no credit, 12 million consumers are unable to borrow from banks because of their credit score.