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. Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. Some credit unions are closed, serving only their members. However, the more and more popularitywin cooperatives of open type. Specialization of credit unions to provide financial services to its shareholders requires a particularly strict regulation of membership and acceptable activities. Since the early 80's started the process of consolidation of credit unions, leading to a decrease in their number with a simultaneous increase in the total number of members. 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. Historically, credit unions have grown from the experience of credit cooperatives, but they took the experience of organizations of mutual aid of citizens by moving methods of social self-protection from labor and toward consumption. Credit unions, like today's credit unions, emerged in the 19th century in Germany as a result of crop failure and famine. Worldwide credit union movement is represented by regional confederations and national organizations within the World Council of Credit Unions.