The first credit union in the United States was founded in 1909. by the group of Franco-American Catholics in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was called "Cooperative Credit Association of St. Mary. " Credit unions attract people in the first place by the opportunity to get cash loan (credit) - quickly and relatively inexpensively. Like the credit cooperatives, credit unions form associations of a higher level, which are called corporate credit unions. Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. Until the mid-XX century, credit unions in the United States had little assets that did not exceed, as a rule, 100 thousand dollars Initially, the target groups of credit unions were farmers (Raiffeisen), and now they include both individuals (credit unions), and organizations. In some cases, the initiators of credit unions can be trade unions, associations such as social support centers and others. Credit Union - a non-profit financial institution specialized in mutual financial assistance by providing savings and credit services to their members.