Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. Cooperation between credit unions, how they would not have been named, took place always, from the moment when the movement moved outside one credit union. As of the January 1, 2012 the national associations and confederations unite more than 196 million members participating in the 51,013 credit unions in 100 countries. Contributions from of shareholders in credit unions in no way can be considered as borrowed funds, they come from the shareholders and for the shareholders and can not be used to provide services to third parties. Credit unions, like today's credit unions, emerged in the 19th century in Germany as a result of crop failure and famine. Credit Union - a non-profit financial institution specialized in mutual financial assistance by providing savings and credit services to their members. Unlike banks credit unions limit their activities to a closed circle of people. Credit Union - one of the most attractive financial institutions for the public being a non-profit alternative to banks. Corporate alliances are intermediaries between credit unions and financial markets.