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. Credit unions attract people in the first place by the opportunity to get cash loan (credit) - quickly and relatively inexpensively. First central bank of credit unions appeared in 1876. Credit unions began to appear rapidly in many European countries. Historically, credit unions have grown from the experience of credit cooperatives, but they took the experience of organizations of mutual aid of citizens by moving methods of social self-protection from labor and toward consumption. In the UK, credit unions are a source of financing of people groups. This tool is not widely used. Corporate alliances are intermediaries between credit unions and financial markets. 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.