Borrowing rate for the credit union is a source of income to cover the administrative costs. All excess funds are returned to members in the form of dividends on savings. International cooperation has been particularly felt since the days when Alphonse Desjardins began the activity on development of credit union movement in North America. The main activities of credit unions, aimed at the organization of mutual aid and social support of citizens is not intended to profit. Contributions from of shareholders in credit unions in no way can be considered as borrowed funds, they come from the shareholders and for the shareholders and can not be used to provide services to third parties. Historically, credit unions have grown from the experience of credit cooperatives, but they took the experience of organizations of mutual aid of citizens by moving methods of social self-protection from labor and toward consumption. The specifics of credit unions and, in some sense, their uniqueness lies in the fact that they work not for profit and do not appropriate profit. Credit union as a consumer cooperative operates on the principles of equality of all its members.
The main activities of credit unions, aimed at the organization of mutual aid and social support of citizens is not intended to profit. Contributions from of shareholders in credit unions in no way can be considered as borrowed funds, they come from the shareholders and for the shareholders and can not be used to provide services to third parties. International cooperation has been particularly felt since the days when Alphonse Desjardins began the activity on development of credit union movement in North America.