The economic basis of credit unions - finances of a household. The main objective of the credit union - to ensure financial stability of a household, to ensure the priority of their shareholders' financial interests. Credit unions also differ from the traditional consumer cooperatives. Important specifics of creating a credit union - an initiative order of organization: people do not receive any instructions, orders or regulations, the unification into a credit union occurs by their will and decision. Standards by which credit unions build their work do not coincide with the standards and regulations of consumer cooperation of the usual type. Corporate alliances are intermediaries between credit unions and financial markets.