A credit union is a financial co-operative. Its origins can be traced to the co-operative movement and the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers. There are many factors that have contributed towards their development - economic hardship, the co- operative movement, the influence of credit union pioneers and a credit union legislative framework. Commentators have suggested that a restrictive legislative framework has limited their impact in Great Britain. However, a favourable statutory framework has helped the development of credit unions in the United States and Ireland. The...