Among the U.S. credit unions, there are three groups that differ in terms of assets, shareholders, and business services. The main advantage of credit unions consists in transparency, controllability, governance for shareholders. The value of credit unions is not limited to the role of the economic agent - they are an important element of the social structure and a factor of social stability and progress. 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. Today, the World Council of Credit Unions is represented as members four regional confederations and twelve national associations. A potential new member of a credit union must submit a recommendation of shareholders in which the referee becomes a warrant of a future member of the credit union.