Historically, credit unions were preceded by widespread development of credit cooperation in many countries of Europe and America. 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. Typically new members of the credit union become citizens having suretyship or recommendations from their friends - members of the credit union. 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. 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. In the UK, credit unions are a source of financing of people groups. This tool is not widely used. Unlike banks credit unions limit their activities to a closed circle of people. A credit union on its own initiative order is created by citizens (individuals) to solve their financial problems that they could not solve in other financial institutions. Today, the World Council of Credit Unions is represented as members four regional confederations and twelve national associations.