Historically, credit unions were preceded by widespread development of credit cooperation in many countries of Europe and America. Like any financial institution, credit unions have the financial resources. 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. 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. 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. On the consumer credit market in the U.S. credit unions are on the third place after the commercial banks and finance companies and are ahead of savings institutions, not taking into account the loans on real estate. The specifics of credit unions and, in some sense, their uniqueness lies in the fact that they work not for profit and do not appropriate profit. Worldwide credit union movement is represented by regional confederations and national organizations within the World Council of Credit Unions.