Historically, credit unions were preceded by widespread development of credit cooperation in many countries of Europe and America. Credit unions attract people in the first place by the opportunity to get cash loan (credit) - quickly and relatively inexpensively. Some credit unions are closed, serving only their members. However, the more and more popularitywin cooperatives of open type. Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. Typically new members of the credit union become citizens having suretyship or recommendations from their friends - members of the credit union. 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 appeared in England in the 19th century. In 1844 a group of workers from Rochdale established the first cooperative. Historically, credit unions have grown from the experience of credit cooperatives, but they took the experience of organizations of mutual aid of citizens by moving methods of social self-protection from labor and toward consumption.
Some credit unions are closed, serving only their members. However, the more and more popularitywin cooperatives of open type. Principles of cooperative democracy and interaction were adequate to the purposes for which people joined credit unions. Credit unions attract people in the first place by the opportunity to get cash loan (credit) - quickly and relatively inexpensively.