In the U.S., credit unions have a clear organizational structure. All credit unions belong to one or the other parent credit union (there are 35 of them in the U.S.). Like any financial institution, credit unions have the financial resources. Most modern credit unions represent specialized consumer cooperatives of citizens associated by the principle of social community: place of work, place of residence, profession, or any other shared interest. The first credit union in the United States was founded in 1909. by the group of Franco-American Catholics in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was called "Cooperative Credit Association of St. Mary. " In recent decades, many credit unions began to resort to such form of service as The difference between credit unions and banks is clearly is apparent when comparing the structure of assets and liabilities of credit unions and banks. Typically new members of the credit union become citizens having suretyship or recommendations from their friends - members of the credit union. International cooperation has been particularly felt since the days when Alphonse Desjardins began the activity on development of credit union movement in North America. Until the mid-XX century, credit unions in the United States had little assets that did not exceed, as a rule, 100 thousand dollars To increase the number of credit unions in 1979 was adopted the corresponding law that serves as the legal basis of their activity.