Should I join while I still can or is it not worth it?

General Forum Discussions
1

My grandfather was in the Air Force during Vietnam, and my grandma still has USAA insurance. I need new car insurance because State Farm keeps raising my rates, but after reading a bunch of posts here, I’m not sure USAA is a good choice anymore.

Is it still worth joining? Are you happy with their service? I don’t want to keep jumping from one company to another—I just want solid coverage from a company that actually pays out claims without jacking up my rates every year.

I see people saying to go with Geico or Progressive for cheaper rates, but others say they lowball claims. What’s the best move here?

2

I’ve been with USAA since I turned 18, and now I’m 40. Every claim I’ve had was handled quickly—sometimes I got paid within a day or two of their assessment. Their banking is solid, and customer service has always been helpful.

Sure, there are things they could do better, but that’s true for any company.

3

If you qualify, go for it. I’ve had nothing but great service for both home and auto insurance.

4

You could open a small account like a savings or credit card just to get in. That way, you keep the option open.

But honestly, unless they make some serious improvements, I don’t see much benefit in being a member anymore.

5

@Rory
You don’t need an active product to keep your membership.

6

Toryn said:
@Rory
You don’t need an active product to keep your membership.

You have to be eligible though. If for some reason they change the rules, having an account might help keep you in.

7

@Rory
Once you have a membership number, you’re in for life. If OP can set it up while his grandma is still around, he’s good.

8

Toryn said:
@Rory
Once you have a membership number, you’re in for life. If OP can set it up while his grandma is still around, he’s good.

But what if grandma passes before he signs up?

9

@Rory
If he signs up before that happens and gets a member number, he’s set. He doesn’t need an active account to keep it.

10

Toryn said:
@Rory
If he signs up before that happens and gets a member number, he’s set. He doesn’t need an active account to keep it.

So basically, if he waits too long and she passes before he joins, he loses the chance?

11

There’s no downside to joining. Once you have a membership number, you’re in, even if you don’t use any of their services right away.

12

Yeah, the benefits still outweigh the downsides.

13

I’d join just to keep the option open. We dropped USAA for most things, but I’m hoping they get better leadership that focuses on actual members instead of wasting money on ads.

My State Farm agent told me a bunch of his new clients recently came from USAA. And if you’re not active-duty military, you probably won’t get their best rates.

14

Nope, Navy Federal is way better all around.

15

Even if their rates aren’t great for you right now, I’d still sign up if you can. You don’t have to buy anything to get a membership, and once you have it, you keep it for life.

16

USAA has been dropping the ball lately.

I bought a car near the end of my policy, and three weeks later, my renewal shot up by 40%. I switched immediately.

You can open a savings account to lock in your membership—just keep it open so you don’t lose it.

17

@Elliot
Yeah, I finally gave up on them too. People who know better left USAA years ago. They keep going through CEOs—didn’t they just get another new one?