Like any financial institution, credit unions have the financial resources. 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. Typically new members of the credit union become citizens having suretyship or recommendations from their friends - members of the credit union. Credit unions of the open type are still controlled by their members, but at the same time provide services to people who are not its members (external customers). Credit cooperatives and credit unions exist in many different forms. The main differences relate to the nature of the membership and the opening of a credit institution.