The economic basis of credit unions - finances of a household. The main objective of the credit union - to ensure financial stability of a household, to ensure the priority of their shareholders' financial interests. Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. Is necessary that all shareholders of the credit union were members of a single community, would know each other well enough to enjoy mutual trust. The supreme body of the World Council of Credit Unions is the Assembly, which elects the president and the board of directors of WOCCU. 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. Credit union as a consumer cooperative operates on the principles of equality of all its members.