Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. Specialization of credit unions to provide financial services to its shareholders requires a particularly strict regulation of membership and acceptable activities. The main activities of credit unions, aimed at the organization of mutual aid and social support of citizens is not intended to profit. Contributions from of shareholders in credit unions in no way can be considered as borrowed funds, they come from the shareholders and for the shareholders and can not be used to provide services to third parties. 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. The supreme body of the World Council of Credit Unions is the Assembly, which elects the president and the board of directors of WOCCU. Credit unions are financial institutions, financial cooperatives of citizens, and in this capacity they are above all associations of people, not unification of capitals, which is typical, for example, for public companies. The right to use the services of the credit union have only its members. U.S. credit unions have another significant difference from the credit cooperatives of farmers: the first have major proportion of short-term loans, the second - long and mostly in real estate.