What is the NCUA?

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is a federal agency in the United States which oversees credit unions. It issues charters for new credit unions, sets credit union policy, and insures deposits at credit unions through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). The goal of the NCUA is to keep credit unions in the United States healthy and strong, and to protect people who deposit their money in credit unions by ensuring that credit unions remain safe and secure. Credit unions are cooperatively-owned financial institutions which are controlled by their members. Members of a credit union can deposit funds, borrow money, participate in investments, and engage in a variety of other financial activities with their credit union accounts. Unlike a bank, a credit union shares its profits with its members by issuing dividends quarterly or annually. Credit unions are generally very safe, secure places to keep money, and they tend to be more community-oriented than ...  more

The NCUA is an independent federal agency, governed by a three-person board, that regulates, charters, and supervises federal credit unions. The NCUA, backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, also operates and manages the NCUSIF, insuring the deposits of over 89 million members in all federal credit unions and the majority of state-chartered credit unions.