To get a loan in the credit union a shareholder must be not only a formally adopted there, but necessary pay in cash contributions, the amount and order of payment of which approved by the General Assembly and fixed by the charter. Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. 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. 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. In the credit union compensation for use of the loan (interest) is a source of compensation for savings. Until the mid-XX century, credit unions in the United States had little assets that did not exceed, as a rule, 100 thousand dollars 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.