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. Activity of the credit union consists of organizing mutual financial assistance by meeting the needs of its members in the services of saving and obtaining loans. Credit unions encourage savings of citizens, setting compensation payments (interest) on savings and provide from these savings loans to their members. The number of shareholders of a credit union is limited and formalized by a list. Limit of the number is defined by the assembly and such assembly establishes the charter. Among the U.S. credit unions, there are three groups that differ in terms of assets, shareholders, and business services. International cooperation has been particularly felt since the days when Alphonse Desjardins began the activity on development of credit union movement in North America. Credit unions are competitors of savings institutions, adding interest on deposits of members. This applies to the shares, as well as to additional funds transferred to the account in the credit union. Shareholders in corporate organizations are basic credit unions, besides the same union can be a shareholder of several corporate organizations. In some cases, the initiators of credit unions can be trade unions, associations such as social support centers and others.