[1] The Irish League of Credit Unions organises in Northern Ireland on an all-island basis.

[4] In fact, the two bodies came to represent distinct factions within the early movement: ABCUL represented industrial credit unions exclusively, while NATFED affiliates were drawn from community credit unions.

Furthermore, whereas ABCUL pursued a growth-orientated strategy of individual member unions achieving critical mass and market share, NATFED placed greater emphasis on self-help and expansion through the proliferation of smaller member unions.

[6] In common with its member credit unions, ABCUL is registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

As a registered charity, the Foundation's rules allow it to carry out a different but complementary role to that of ABCUL.