USAA Insurance review 2023

Thanks in part to USAA’s outstanding J.D. Power scores, online accessibility and low average premiums, we issued USAA’s auto insurance a Bankrate Score of 4.3 out of 5. Our USAA insurance review found that this carrier could be one of the best car insurance companies, assuming you meet its eligibility requirements. To qualify for membership with United Services Automobile Association, or its brand name USAA, you must be an active-duty military member or veteran. Certain family members are also eligible, including spouses and children.

USAA is available nationwide and can even help you get insurance coverage if you are stationed outside the U.S. in some cases. Whether you need minimum or full coverage, USAA offers all the standard coverage options plus a few extras, like roadside assistance and car rental reimbursement. USAA consistently receives high customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power, although the carrier is not eligible for official ranking due to its eligibility restrictions. In the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study, USAA is the highest-scoring company in almost every region of the country.

No matter where you live in the country, USAA could be one of the cheapest homeowners insurance companies for those that qualify. Because of its superior financial strength, high customer satisfaction ratings, coverage options and more, our insurance editorial team issued USAA’s home insurance a Bankrate Score of 3.7 out of 5.

USAA home insurance comes with all the standard coverage types — including dwelling, personal property, other structures coverage, additional living expenses and liability coverage — and can also be personalized to suit your needs. Coverage even includes military uniforms that are damaged while on active or reserve duty. Optional coverage types include home sharing coverage, earthquake coverage and flood insurance. The company also earned a top score in the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study, the highest score of any company included in the study.

USAA’s life insurance quotes are more limited than other companies, but the company could be a good choice if you are looking for one of the products it offers. Unlike its auto and property insurance policies, USAA makes its life policies available to all U.S. citizens, with or without a military background. The company also has financial advisors available to help you understand your needs and choose a product or policy based on your financial needs.

USAA offers a few different life insurance products, including term life, simplified whole life and universal life. Guaranteed whole life policies are also available, although Mutual of Omaha underwrites them. And in 2021, USAA introduced its first digital life insurance policy, with no medical exam required. The policy offers a guaranteed $100,000 in coverage for eligible individuals age 21-35. Life insurance is designed to help give your loved ones a financial cushion if you pass away, so choosing the best product type for your needs is an important part of your financial plan.

If you want to compare USAA with other insurance companies that offer military-related perks, the following three companies may be a good place to start.

Our insurance editorial team includes licensed agents with decades of combined experience, and we used our intimate knowledge of the industry to conduct this in-depth USAA insurance review.

Based on our evaluation, USAA company could be an excellent choice for those seeking coverage with military-focused options, but it depends on your needs (and eligibility status). It scores well in customer and claims satisfaction in both the home and auto J.D. Power insurance studies. It offers lower-than-average rates and a wide selection of insurance and banking products.

However, USAA products may not be available to you if you aren’t military-affiliated, and those who are eligible may not find USAA the best option if they prefer to do business with a local agency. Additionally, USAA’s Bankrate Score dipped from 5.0 to 4.0 from 2022 to 2023, primarily due to our latest evaluation of each company’s performance, as well as USAA’s move away from 24/7 customer service. While this may not be an indicator of a trend, it may be worth considering. In the end, the best way to determine if USAA is the company for you may be to request a free quote.

USAA customer complaints

Another way to understand the quality of service a company provides is to know where the company falls on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. To understand this data, know that the baseline number of complaints is 1.0. If a company scores above 1.0, it has more complaints than average (or the baseline). The inverse also applies — if a company falls below 1.0, it has fewer complaints than the baseline.

Other USAA tools and benefits

USAA is more than just an insurance provider; the company offers a host of other financial products and benefits for its members. If you want to consolidate numerous financial services with one company, USAA could be a good fit.

• Banking products: USAA offers banking products, including checking and savings accounts, credit cards and loans.
• Specialty vehicle insurance: USAA partners with other insurers to offer coverage for other types of vehicles, including motorcycles, ATVs, antique and classic cars, RVs and motorhomes.
• Mobile app: USAA offers a mobile app as part of its digital presence for policyholders, which has high ratings in the App Store and Google Play Store. Additionally, USAA scored highly in the Service category of the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study.
• Renters insurance: If you rent your home or apartment, USAA has renters insurance options that could help protect your belongings.
• Landlord insurance: Landlords can buy landlords insurance policies to protect the homes that they own and rent out.
• Umbrella insurance: Umbrella policies can provide excess liability coverage to help protect your finances.
• Flood insurance: Standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover floods. Not all companies offer flood insurance policies, but they are available at USAA.
• Survivor Relations team: USAA has a dedicated Survivor Relations team available to help you navigate the loss of your loved one. You can contact them at 1-800-292-8294 Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 6 PM Central Time.

Frequently asked questions about USAA

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2023 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Auto insurance rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region.

Auto

Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Homeowners

Quoted rates are based on 40-year-old male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $250,000, $350,000, $450,000, $750,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $25,000, $35,000, $45,000, $75,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $125,000, $175,000, $225,000, $375,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $50,000, $70,000, $90,000, $150,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible and a separate wind and hail deductible (if required).

These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2023 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Like our previous Bankrate Scores, each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. This year, our 2023 scoring model provides a more comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and better highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, 2023 quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.