In recent decades, many credit unions began to resort to such form of service as Members of credit unions place in credit unions usually free fund balances, ie those that remain after expenses devoted to education of children, the acquisition of new properties, additional pension benefits, etc. As of the January 1, 2012 the national associations and confederations unite more than 196 million members participating in the 51,013 credit unions in 100 countries. Credit unions are financial institutions, financial cooperatives of citizens, and in this capacity they are above all associations of people, not unification of capitals, which is typical, for example, for public companies. Unlike banks credit unions limit their activities to a closed circle of people. Worldwide credit union movement is represented by regional confederations and national organizations within the World Council of Credit Unions.