On Thursday, February 27, 2014, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) encouraged credit card companies to offer consumers their credit scores for free online and in monthly statements – a practice that several issuers have already begun in an effort to distinguish their products in the industry. The CFPB recently sent letters to the nation’s top credit card companies urging them to follow suit. According to the agency, a regularly available credit score may prompt more Americans to review their credit standing and pull their free annual credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. In a speech to the Consumer Advisory Board, CFPB Director Richard Cordray stated that the CFPB now considers providing free reports a “best practice in the industry.”