Credit unions also differ from the traditional consumer cooperatives. The uniqueness of credit unions is that they put together the principles and benefits of financial cooperatives, consumer cooperatives and mutual aid funds, born once by trade unions. Income derived from the provision of services to its members, does not become the profit of credit union and is distributed among its members in proportion to their 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. Credit unions, like today's credit unions, emerged in the 19th century in Germany as a result of crop failure and famine. A credit union on its own initiative order is created by citizens (individuals) to solve their financial problems that they could not solve in other financial institutions.
Income derived from the provision of services to its members, does not become the profit of credit union and is distributed among its members in proportion to their 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 uniqueness of credit unions is that they put together the principles and benefits of financial cooperatives, consumer cooperatives and mutual aid funds, born once by trade unions.