A survey of consumer sentiment conducted by the Discover card brand found credit union members marginally more optimistic than non-credit union members about the economy in general but less optimistic about their own individual economic circumstances.

The Discover U.S. Spending Monitor for January 2013 found that the percentage of credit union members who rated the economy as “excellent” or “good” rose by four points over the same time last year, to 15%, which was one point over the 14% of non-credit union members who rated the economy “excellent” or “good.”

At the same time, the percentage of credit union members who rated the economy as “poor” fell by eight points to 45%.

But that was the end to credit union member optimism in the survey. The percentage of credit union members who expected the economy to get better dropped by three points over the same time last year, to 32%, and the percentage of CU members who expected the economy to stay the same increased from 10% to 15%.

Credit union members who rated their personal finances as “excellent” or “good” decreased one percentage point year-over-year in January, to 37%. This is also a four-percentage point decline quarterly from November 2012, Discover said.

Non-credit union members with the same rating of “excellent” or “good” increased three points to 34% in January, compared with the same time period last year, Discover said, adding that the number of credit union members who believe their personal finances are getting “better” fell four points year-over-year to 24%, while non-credit union members with this expectation increased three percentage points annually, to 23%.