This is a detailed guide on how to become a USAA member.
You’ve probably heard of USAA and you are curious about knowing what the organization is all about and how to become a member.
This is the right article for you on how to become a USAA member
We have extensively revealed all you need to know about USAA and how to become a USAA member in this article.
Read to the end and you would be glad you did.
What Is USAA All About?
The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is a financial services group of companies that was founded in 1922 by a group of 25 U.S Army officers as a means to insure their vehicles since they were unable to secure auto insurance.
The association that started with just 25 officers has expanded to offering banking and insurance services to its members who are now more than 12.4 million with more than 32, 896 employees.
USAA is making waves as it was ranked 100 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest united states corporation by total revenue.
Moreover, USAA has only a few branches across 11 states and all of them are in major military installations.
Apart from its headquarters which is in San Antonio, Texas, United States, USAA has another major office in Phoenix and other offices at Chesapeake, Virginia; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Highland Falls, New York; Plano, Texas; and Tampa, Florida.
They also have International offices in London and Frankfurt.
Businesswise, USAA is an organization for insurance, banking, investing, and advice.
It is one of the exclusive military financial institutions, along with Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed, and several others.
Who is Eligible To Become USAA Member?
USAA membership is not opened to all people who have an interest in joining.
Generally, USAA membership is granted to active military members, retired, and Veterans service members who have served honorably in the U.S. military and their eligible family members.
However, not all family members of the USA military officers are granted permission to become a USAA member.
Eligible family members are spouses, widows, widowers, and un-remarried former partners of USAA members who joined USAA before or during the marriage.
Moreover, USAA authorizes membership eligibility to step-children as well as biological children.
However, for a child to be granted membership, the parent must join USAA while alive. Once the parent’s USAA membership is ascertained, membership eligibility can be assigned to the children.
The USAA membership eligibility cannot be passed to siblings and parents of military officers.
Additionally, USAA membership cannot be established posthumously for departed parents.
Benefits Of Joining The USAA
USAA’s major mission is to be the chosen financial institution for the U.S. military community and their close families. Therefore, they give advantages, products, and discounts for U.S. military members, their spouses, and children.
They are devoted to providing their members with outstanding services.
When you join USAA, you enjoy distinct financial resources, access to representatives who are competent and can guide you, and products that suit your lifestyle presently and in the future.
Moreover, they have over time earned their members’ trust by providing suitable banking, competitively priced insurance, and an inclusive series of investment products through their strategic providers.
If you are a US military personnel or an immediate family member, you can join USAA today and enjoy their varieties of products and services which are explained below
Insurance
When you join USAA, you get insurance for your car, home, personal belongings, and even your military uniforms, and more.
Their members are rewarded for driving safe, and offered multiple vehicle discounts and accident forgiveness.
They provide health and life insurance options with competitively-priced coverage for members and their families to explore.
USAA helps protect their members’ family’s financial future and future insurability.
They also offer ATVs, mopeds, and scooters, with added discounts for taking driver safety courses.
Moreover, they are passionate about providing 24/7 roadside assistance, coverage for emergency expenses, and a disappearing deductible reward.
USAA insurance also covers small and large watercraft with coverage for accidents, liability, and theft.
They provide insurance for members’ places of businesses, employees, and their belongings, allowing them to focus on day-to-day operations.
They also help protect their members’ pets and their wallets, with options to cover regular care and emergency medical expenses.
Banking
You are granted access to a wide range of banking products for your everyday life when you join USSA.
You are free to Choose from checking accounts with no monthly service payment or minimum balance requirements to auto and home loans with competitive prices.
To serve their members perfectly, USAA has more than 60,000 USAA preferred ATMs for their members to use nationwide.
Moreover, they made it possible and convenient for military pay to be available in advance with direct deposit.
They offer competitive credit card rates and great rewards program, and their team of professionals assists before, during, and after their member’s deployment.
Investments
As a USSA member, you are allowed to invest for the future and grow your wealth with their strategic providers.
You are not allowed to struggle alone to meet your financial goals, you are guided with solutions for all your investment needs.
Advice
USAA offers advice to all its members’ financial needs including spending, saving, and protecting what matters most.
As a USAA member, you are not left alone to prepare for your major life events, you get substantial advice from the association.
You are guided from buying a car to managing debt.
You can get help planning with personalized advice, tools, and calculators.
In USAA, you are advised to take control of your financial life with a detailed look at what you’re doing well and opportunities to improve.
Shopping And Discount
USAA offers substantial discounts to its members. For renting of car, you can save up to 25% with Avis, Hertz, Enterprises, or Budget.
For travel, you are offered price matching on hotels, resorts, cruises and vacation packages. You are also offered travel insurance with vacated service fees.
For your home, you are offered ADT Home security and monitoring discounts and three-month deployment credit.
Additionally, you are also offered discounts on shipping, moving, and storage.
How To Become A USAA Member
Registering to become a member of USAA is not a long hectic process, everything is simplified.
To become a USAA member, information about yourself and others who will associate with your membership is needed. Information such as name, contact information, date of birth, occupation, social security number, and military service details.
For U.S military members serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, to register for USAA membership, it is important to provide your
- Branch of service
- Rank
- Entry to active service date
If you’re separated or retired from the U.S. Armed Forces with an Honorable discharge, you are expected to provide your
- Branch of service
- Rank
- Service start and end dates
If you’re a contracted Cadet or Midshipman attending a U.S. Service Academy, affiliated academy preparatory school, or advanced ROTC program, you are mandated to provide your
- Branch of service
- Commissioning source
- Commissioning date
It is worthy to note that If you are separated from a U.S. Service Academy before commissioning, you may be eligible to join USAA. Moreover, you must have separated with a Cadet or Midshipman ranking and an Honorable discharge.
If you are an officer or Warrant Officer commissioning within 24 months, it is mandatory to provide your
- Branch of service
- Commissioning source
- Commissioning date
If your spouse is currently serving in the military or a veteran with an Honorable discharge and is not a USAA member, you are expected to create their profile first by Providing the following:
- Branch of service
- Rank
- Service dates
If your spouse is already a USAA member, you would have to provide their Social Security number.
If you’re divorced from a USAA member and haven’t remarried, you would provide your former spouse’s USAA number
Moreover, your former spouse must have joined USAA before or during your marriage for you to qualify.
If you’re widowed and your spouse was a member you are required to provide their USAA number.
If your parents are USAA member, you would provide their USAA number.
However, for non-U.S. citizens, a passport or permanent resident card is needed for registration too.
After providing details about you or your family member’s military service, you will Set Up Your Secure Access by Creating Your Online ID and Password. And then advance to the Product or Service You desired.
USAA values password because it’s a private financial services association that is not accessible by just anyone.
USAA is very careful about the security and privacy needs of its members.
And one of the ways USAA authenticates people as members are by use of a password to protect the security and confidentiality of their data.
How To Verify Your Military Service
You cannot make use of USAA products until you provide some required verification documents such as a copy of an acceptable military document and government-issued ID.
Examples of acceptable military documents include DD214(long version), Discharge Certificate, Leave & Earnings Statement or military orders if you’re actively serving.
If you are in a Delayed Entry Program, you would have to provide your DD Form 4.
Furthermore, examples of acceptable government-issued ID include driver’s license, and ID card or passport.
Also read: 11 Best Health insurance In USA For Foreigners
That is all on how to become a USAA member, I hope it helps.