Membership in the credit union is voluntary and is open to all citizens bound by with joint work or residence, who wished to create a credit union to use its services and are willing to take on relevant commitments and responsibilities. Activity of the credit union consists of organizing mutual financial assistance by meeting the needs of its members in the services of saving and obtaining loans. Like the credit cooperatives, credit unions form associations of a higher level, which are called corporate credit unions. To reduce the risk of default on loans members of the credit union shall the joint guarantee. Until the 70's there was a proliferation of the U.S. credit unions due to the increase of their number and the number of shareholders, although it must be acknowledged that there was also and a qualitative growth. Until the mid-XX century, credit unions in the United States had little assets that did not exceed, as a rule, 100 thousand dollars 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 Union - a non-profit financial institution specialized in mutual financial assistance by providing savings and credit services to their members. 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 unions base their activities on savings of shareholders, their shares and savings contributions, which make up the fund of mutual financial assistance - a source of cash loans to shareholders.
Like the credit cooperatives, credit unions form associations of a higher level, which are called corporate credit unions. To reduce the risk of default on loans members of the credit union shall the joint guarantee. Activity of the credit union consists of organizing mutual financial assistance by meeting the needs of its members in the services of saving and obtaining loans.