Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. In recent decades, many credit unions began to resort to such form of service as First central bank of credit unions appeared in 1876. Credit unions began to appear rapidly in many European countries. Contributions from of shareholders in credit unions in no way can be considered as borrowed funds, they come from the shareholders and for the shareholders and can not be used to provide services to third parties. Credit unions, like today's credit unions, emerged in the 19th century in Germany as a result of crop failure and famine.