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. Like the credit cooperatives, credit unions form associations of a higher level, which are called corporate credit unions. Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. First central bank of credit unions appeared in 1876. Credit unions began to appear rapidly in many European countries. Members of credit unions place in credit unions usually free fund balances, ie those that remain after expenses devoted to education of children, the acquisition of new properties, additional pension benefits, etc. Until the mid-XX century, credit unions in the United States had little assets that did not exceed, as a rule, 100 thousand dollars Credit Union - one of the most attractive financial institutions for the public being a non-profit alternative to banks.