A credit score is either a blessing or a curse cast down upon you from the digital cloud. A score of 740 qualifies you for the best interest rate on a conventional mortgage. A score under 640 means ugly interest, and a number under 620 makes it very hard to get a mortgage at all.

Consumer credit transactions are regulated both at the Federal and the State level. While there is considerable variation among State laws governing consumer credit transactions, most are based on Federal laws and various versions of State laws covering several standard areas.

Citi Free Credit Scores will provide free credit scores to their credit card customers and the bank will begin providing these scores on a monthly basis beginning in January, 2015.

Following the lead of Discover, Barclay’s and Citibank, Chase Bank will begin offering some of its customers their free FICO Score. This access will help consumers determine where they stand before they apply for credit, apartments, cell phones and more. Here’s what you need to know about FICO Scores and how to access them for free.

Free Access to Credit Scores Act — Consumers already have the ability to request their free credit report once a year, but a credit report does not include your credit score. These two items are often confused to be the same, which they are not. You generally must pay to see your credit score — it’s a three-digit grade that predicts how risky you are to a lender.