Membership in the credit union is voluntary and is open to all citizens bound by with joint work or residence, who wished to create a credit union to use its services and are willing to take on relevant commitments and responsibilities. In the U.S., credit unions have a clear organizational structure. All credit unions belong to one or the other parent credit union (there are 35 of them in the U.S.). Corporate credit unions are united on a cooperative basis in the Central Credit Union (US Central Credit Union). The first credit union in the United States was founded in 1909. by the group of Franco-American Catholics in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was called "Cooperative Credit Association of St. Mary. " Specialization of credit unions to provide financial services to its shareholders requires a particularly strict regulation of membership and acceptable activities. The main advantage of credit unions consists in transparency, controllability, governance for shareholders. Credit Union - a non-profit financial institution specialized in mutual financial assistance by providing savings and credit services to their members. 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. Credit unions encourage the proper use of shareholders savings, developing social programs (education, health, recreation, housing, etc.). Credit union as a consumer cooperative operates on the principles of equality of all its members.