Why can't I get membership when my dad was in the military?

I don’t understand why I’m not eligible for membership. My dad spent 30 years in the military and had a membership. My mom also had one, but they both passed away. Now I’m being told I can’t join. Doesn’t this forum serve military families? What should I do? Thanks for any advice.

If your dad was a member, you just need his name, date of birth, and either his SSN or USAA number. If he never joined before he passed, then you can’t join now. Think of it this way: veterans can get membership, and once they have it, they can pass it to their spouse and kids. But the eligibility ends with the veteran.

Basically, you need someone to sponsor you. If both your parents have passed, I don’t think you can join that way.

You might have to do what some people do—join the military yourself and sign up for the benefits that way.

I’m a stepchild of a veteran, and he had to fill out some paperwork to make me eligible under family benefits. Have you called this forum to see what they need from you?

Cedar said:
I’m a stepchild of a veteran, and he had to fill out some paperwork to make me eligible under family benefits. Have you called this forum to see what they need from you?

I did, and they said my dad would have to sponsor me. I explained that he’s no longer alive, but they still said I couldn’t get membership.

Wow, after all those years, they didn’t think to set up a profile for you in his account? That’s disappointing. Sounds like they didn’t care much about passing it down to you.

From what I’ve heard, membership can only pass to a widow or widower if the original member has passed. For kids to get membership, the parent would’ve had to set it up for them before they passed. You might want to call and ask to speak to someone in Survivor Relations. Sometimes the rules change, and it’s worth checking directly with them.

You might be able to try Navy Federal Credit Union instead. They don’t do insurance as far as I know, but their banking is decent. You can look them up at navyfederal.org. My family got access either through my dad, who was in the Air Force briefly in the ’50s, or my brother-in-law, who was a Marine.

Do you know your dad’s membership number?

Nice try, buddy.

Perrin said:
Nice try, buddy.

Yeah, good luck with that one.

Honestly, you might be better off skipping this forum. It’s kind of a mess. Try Navy Federal; they’re a bit better.

Looks like this forum just saved you some money. Check out Geico, Progressive, or whatever’s popular in your area.

Lex said:
Looks like this forum just saved you some money. Check out Geico, Progressive, or whatever’s popular in your area.

Geico and Progressive? Good luck if you ever have to file a claim!

@Dev
Honestly, they can’t be worse than this forum. They tried to get out of paying me on a homeowners claim. Also, Progressive is who this forum uses for motorcycle insurance anyway, so it’s kind of the same thing.

You were eligible back when your dad was alive, but not anymore.

I’ve been a member for 40 years, and honestly, you’re not missing much. Insurance rates used to be great, and even savings accounts had good interest, but now nothing is competitive. Their credit cards are just average. The only reason I’m still here is because it’s convenient for transferring money with my kids. Once they’re older, we’ll probably shut everything down and move on. It’s just not worth it anymore.

@Sullivan
Thanks for sharing your experience.