Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. Some credit unions are closed, serving only their members. However, the more and more popularitywin cooperatives of open type. Specialization of credit unions to provide financial services to its shareholders requires a particularly strict regulation of membership and acceptable activities. Credit union services are available only to its shareholders. As of the January 1, 2012 the national associations and confederations unite more than 196 million members participating in the 51,013 credit unions in 100 countries. Credit unions are competitors of savings institutions, adding interest on deposits of members. This applies to the shares, as well as to additional funds transferred to the account in the credit union. In the case of default the shareholder - individual will respond with its property and, in addition, is jointly and severally liable with the credit union's commitments. In some cases, the initiators of credit unions can be trade unions, associations such as social support centers and others. 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. Unlike banks credit unions limit their activities to a closed circle of people.