Historically, credit unions were preceded by widespread development of credit cooperation in many countries of Europe and America. Activity of the credit union consists of organizing mutual financial assistance by meeting the needs of its members in the services of saving and obtaining loans. Credit union promotes the effective conservation of personal funds of its members, giving them the loans from the funds of the credit union, as well as the sharing of savings in education, housing, health care and other programs of social support and social development of its members. All the members of the credit union, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious and political beliefs, as well as the size of the monetary share have equal rights. Income derived from the provision of services to its members, does not become the profit of credit union and is distributed among its members in proportion to their savings. The relationship of shareholders with credit union are not client-based, they are co-operative, based on different principles and standards, in particular, on the principles of the law of obligations. In the UK, credit unions are a source of financing of people groups. This tool is not widely used. Standards by which credit unions build their work do not coincide with the standards and regulations of consumer cooperation of the usual type. Credit cooperatives and credit unions exist in many different forms. The main differences relate to the nature of the membership and the opening of a credit institution. Corporate alliances are intermediaries between credit unions and financial markets.