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. Historically, credit unions were preceded by widespread development of credit cooperation in many countries of Europe and America. The relationship of shareholders with credit union are not client-based, they are co-operative, based on different principles and standards, in particular, on the principles of the law of obligations. 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. Today, the World Council of Credit Unions is represented as members four regional confederations and twelve national associations. Corporate alliances are intermediaries between credit unions and financial markets.