Is USAA Really Worth the Exclusive Membership?
What comes to mind when you hear the words, “exclusive membership?” Maybe exceptional service, added benefits, partnered discounts, or exclusive deals? If that’s what you think, then USAA has all the exclusive membership perks you could imagine—or at least a some great deals to make them worth taking a look at.
USAA Car Insurance Cost
How much you pay for car insurance varies drastically. Your premium is based on age, driving record and even your credit score. The better your credit, the better your rate. In some states you’ll pay more based on the average number of claims, average amount of uninsured drivers in the area, the amount of traffic, the potential for theft and even protection measures included with your vehicle.
Do you own a garage? If so, you’ll pay less than someone who doesn’t, because hail damage won’t hurt a car enclosed in a garage. If you're looking for discounts like this, your best option is to call for your USAA car insurance quote. While you’re on the phone, see what they can offer you and then do a little comparison shopping for what it is you want.
Of course, even with competitive rates, there are a few things you can do to help lower your rate even more, at least with USAA. Have you thought about taking a defensive driver’s course? If not, maybe you should. The discount might not be huge, but every little bit adds up. Are you getting ready to deploy? Why not store your vehicle on base for an even bigger discounted rate. What about bundling? Believe it or not, the amount of services you use from USAA the better rate you’ll get. For example, let’s say your premium was by $80/mo., if you add personal property insurance your premium might drop to $75/mo.
Keep in mind, there are circumstances where your rates will raise and hurdles you’ll have to jump before those rates drop. For example, if you’re under 26, your premium will be higher than someone who is much older. If you have a lot of speeding tickets, your rates will be higher than someone who doesn’t have any. If you have a serious driving offense such as a DUI, you’ll also be paying a considerable amount each month. On a positive note, with USAA, on average you’ll save more if you have a DUI or DWI on your record than you will with other insurance providers.
USAA Policy Options
USAA offers a variety of policy options. However, remember some states require a minimum amount of coverage, so no matter what policy options you go with, USAA has to go by your state’s insurance laws, no matter what. This is also another reason rates go up or down when you move, because some states might require more coverage than others.
Coverage options could include:
- Liability Coverage
- Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
- Collision Coverage
- Comprehensive Coverage
- Personal Injury Protection
- Gap Insurance
USAA Discounts
Bundling aside, USAA actually offers a lot of discounts. They have a new car discount, good student discount, defensive driver discount and so much more. Really your discounts depend on you and your family along with your military service. For instance, if you only drive your car a certain mileage, you will get a discounted rate. If your car is garaged on base, that’s a 15% discount. Below are some discounts you could potentially save with. But, keep in mind that discounts also vary based on location, meaning all discounts aren’t available in every states.
Discounts Based on your Driving
- Safe Driver
- Defensive Driving
- Driver Training
- Good Student - Students under 21 with good grades
Discounts Based on how and what Vehicle you Drive
- New Vehicle - no older than 3 years
- Multi Vehicle
- Annual Mileage
- Vehicle Storage - on base storage while deployed
Discounts based on your Membership with USAA
- Family Discount
- Length of Membership
- Military Installation - where you park your car daily
Other Discounts
- Save 15% on your homeowner insurance by bundling with auto insurance
- Save 60% by storing your vehicle on base during a deployment
- Save 15% by garaging your vehicle on base
USAA also offers the option of free accident forgiveness after 5 years of no at-fault accidents, which could save you a lot in your premium cost, since your monthly payments won’t go up.
What USAA does better than its Competitors
USAA is always at the top of the chart when it comes to customer service. We’ve heard rumors about this department declining, but it’s still better than what you get with other top insurance providers. Yes, USAA makes mistakes, and yes, there are competitors giving USAA a run for their money, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking the lead.
USAA also tops the charts when it comes to filing claims. USAA is quick and while it may seem like they’re picky, they’re really no different than anyone else. In fact, USAA is up front about what’s in your policy.
For example, if you had a hit and run, and your policy says you have a $1,000 deductible, you’ll only pay $250 with the police report’s confirmation. You don’t even have to dig around to get this information. We know this one from personal experience after having an accident with a hit and run driver. One competitor not only failed to mention the drastic deductible cost, but refused to honor it when it was confirmed to be an option. The difference with USAA—the process was much smoother, the representative more helpful, the claim filed and paid out much quicker, and the $250 fee was honored without even mentioning it.
After asking around and getting more personal experience stories other than our own, we discovered USAA is either on top of the charts and definitely no worse than other providers. And while they can have some costly premiums, they’re often—but not always—the cheaper route, if you bank through them and bundle.
