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. Specialization of credit unions to provide financial services to its shareholders requires a particularly strict regulation of membership and acceptable activities. Shareholders in corporate organizations are basic credit unions, besides the same union can be a shareholder of several corporate organizations. Standards by which credit unions build their work do not coincide with the standards and regulations of consumer cooperation of the usual type.