Membership in the credit union is voluntary and is open to all citizens bound by with joint work or residence, who wished to create a credit union to use its services and are willing to take on relevant commitments and responsibilities. Typically, donor contributions to the credit unions are targeted and used in the same statutory requirements and restrictions as the Mutual Financial Aid fund as a whole. Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. The main advantage of credit unions consists in transparency, controllability, governance for shareholders. Over 30% of the assets of credit unions are investments in government securities, certificates of deposit of banks and savings loan associations, as well as in the parent credit unions, and other risk-free investments. In the credit union compensation for use of the loan (interest) is a source of compensation for savings. The supreme body of the World Council of Credit Unions is the Assembly, which elects the president and the board of directors of WOCCU. Standards by which credit unions build their work do not coincide with the standards and regulations of consumer cooperation of the usual type. Credit unions base their activities on savings of shareholders, their shares and savings contributions, which make up the fund of mutual financial assistance - a source of cash loans to shareholders. Unlike banks credit unions limit their activities to a closed circle of people.
Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. The main advantage of credit unions consists in transparency, controllability, governance for shareholders. Typically, donor contributions to the credit unions are targeted and used in the same statutory requirements and restrictions as the Mutual Financial Aid fund as a whole.