Credit unions also differ from the traditional consumer cooperatives. 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. Until the 70's there was a proliferation of the U.S. credit unions due to the increase of their number and the number of shareholders, although it must be acknowledged that there was also and a qualitative growth. International cooperation has been particularly felt since the days when Alphonse Desjardins began the activity on development of credit union movement in North America. Unlike banks credit unions limit their activities to a closed circle of people.