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. Typically, donor contributions to the credit unions are targeted and used in the same statutory requirements and restrictions as the Mutual Financial Aid fund as a whole. To date, credit unions - virtually the only form of financial institution where people can quickly and without any problems get a relatively inexpensive cash loan. The first credit union in the United States was founded in 1909. by the group of Franco-American Catholics in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was called "Cooperative Credit Association of St. Mary. " 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. Some credit unions are closed, serving only their members. However, the more and more popularitywin cooperatives of open type. Credit unions encourage savings of citizens, setting compensation payments (interest) on savings and provide from these savings loans to their members. The value of credit unions is not limited to the role of the economic agent - they are an important element of the social structure and a factor of social stability and progress.