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. Membership in the credit union forms responsible citizens and conscientious attitude to their obligations as a norm of behavior, identify the value of a decent man's reputation in the business turnover. 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. Credit unions appeared in England in the 19th century. In 1844 a group of workers from Rochdale established the first cooperative. Credit unions encourage the proper use of shareholders savings, developing social programs (education, health, recreation, housing, etc.). U.S. credit unions have another significant difference from the credit cooperatives of farmers: the first have major proportion of short-term loans, the second - long and mostly in real estate.