Historically, credit unions were preceded by widespread development of credit cooperation in many countries of Europe and America. 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. " 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 main advantage of credit unions consists in transparency, controllability, governance for shareholders. The main activities of credit unions, aimed at the organization of mutual aid and social support of citizens is not intended to profit. 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.