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. First central bank of credit unions appeared in 1876. Credit unions began to appear rapidly in many European countries. Cooperation between credit unions, how they would not have been named, took place always, from the moment when the movement moved outside one credit union. Credit union as a consumer cooperative operates on the principles of equality of all its members.