Credit unions also differ from the traditional consumer cooperatives. The number of shareholders of a credit union is limited and formalized by a list. Limit of the number is defined by the assembly and such assembly establishes the charter. All the members of the credit union, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious and political beliefs, as well as the size of the monetary share have equal rights. To reduce the risk of default on loans members of the credit union shall the joint guarantee. 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. Standards by which credit unions build their work do not coincide with the standards and regulations of consumer cooperation of the usual type. On the consumer credit market in the U.S. credit unions are on the third place after the commercial banks and finance companies and are ahead of savings institutions, not taking into account the loans on real estate. Credit union as a consumer cooperative operates on the principles of equality of all its members.