how to find the best rate

Decide how much you want to borrow and over what period. Remember that most lenders have tiered rates of interest so that the more you borrow, the lower the rate of interest.

That doesn’t mean you should borrow more than you need – just be aware that by borrowing £5,000, you might pay a lower rate than if you borrowed £4,900, if the bank has tiered bands of interest.

When choosing the duration of the loan, remember that most personal loans carry early repayment charges if you want to pay the loan off early. So try to choose as short a loan period as possible

Shopping around for a personal loan has become more difficult as a growing number of providers now operate ‘personal pricing,’ based on each applicant's creditworthiness.

This makes shopping around more difficult as advertised rates will not necessarily be the same as the rate you are actually able to obtain.

Even so, don't just stick with your current account provider.  Take a look at the Defaqto best buy tables to  see the most competitive quoted rates as a guide to which lenders are seeking new business.