Corporate credit unions are united on a cooperative basis in the Central Credit Union (US Central Credit Union). Like any financial institution, credit unions have the financial resources. Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. The economic basis of credit unions - finances of a household. The main objective of the credit union - to ensure financial stability of a household, to ensure the priority of their shareholders' financial interests. Credit unions attract people in the first place by the opportunity to get cash loan (credit) - quickly and relatively inexpensively. Until the mid-XX century, credit unions in the United States had little assets that did not exceed, as a rule, 100 thousand dollars In the UK, credit unions are a source of financing of people groups. This tool is not widely used. Credit unions, like today's credit unions, emerged in the 19th century in Germany as a result of crop failure and famine. Unlike banks, in order to use the services of a credit union, you have to become its member, having written an application and having paid thus shares and membership fee.