National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) - an independent federal agency, based in Washington (State of Columbia), established by the U.S. Congress to oversee the federal credit union system. When organizing the credit union it is important that people know each other and know the extent to which each of them is trustworthy. The supreme body of the World Council of Credit Unions is the Assembly, which elects the president and the board of directors of WOCCU. U.S. credit unions have another significant difference from the credit cooperatives of farmers: the first have major proportion of short-term loans, the second - long and mostly in real estate. A potential new member of a credit union must submit a recommendation of shareholders in which the referee becomes a warrant of a future member of the credit union.