Yes, every adult in the U.S. is entitled to a free credit report each year.  You actually get THREE free reports annually, one from each of the three credit reporting agencies, better known as credit bureaus.   These have been available since late 2004, thanks to the provisions in FACTA, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions [...]

   By now, most consumers know they have a credit file and that the credit bureaus, also known as credit reporting agencies, keep these files.  You know the importance of monitoring your credit reports to assure accuracy as you build your credit rating and get better scores.  The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and its amendment, the  [...]

ALL CREDIT SCORES ARE NOT EQUAL
 
In the U.S. the FICO score is used by the majority of financial institutions.  It was created in the 1950s by the Fair Isaacs Corporation and ranges from 300 to 850.  Generally, the higher the score, the more financial options a consumer has.
 
FICO has specific formulas for different industries: mortgage, [...]

When you want to check your own credit scores, we recommend getting FICO scores.  The Fair Isaacs Corporation owns the FICO scoring formulas and the majority of lenders in the United States use some version of the FICO score. 
The consumer credit scores that are heavily advertised, particularly by the credit bureaus, are not necessarily FICO [...]