USAA Membership

USAA membership is a privilege extended to those who have served in the U.S. military, and their families.

USAA offers banking services, life, home and car insurance, and independent financial advice from certified financial planners.

It also offers a buying service for diamonds and other jewelry, which will save you some money if you're in the market for those things.

Check out USAA's Special Rates and Services for Military Members. Join USAA.

In our view, USAA membership is one of the most valuable benefits of your military service, as it will enable you to save time and money on:

• home, life and car insurance
• banking needs
• financial investments
• financial planning, and
• certain consumer purchases through USAA's buying services.

In addition to its jewelry-buying service, which can save you a bundle on that engagement ring (or a replacement) and a lifetime of anniversary, birthday and Christmas gifts, USAA has instituted a car-buying service to take the hassle out of shopping for a new car.

With their new USAA Auto Circle, you can find, finance and purchase your new or used car online or on your iPhone or Android phone. Then all you have to do at the dealership is pick it up, and it's insured before you drive off the lot. How could anything be more convenient? And they've pre-negotiated the price for you, too!

If you have not already become a member of USAA, we urge you to do so today, by visiting USAA.com. And tell all your military friends about it too. They'll thank you for years.

USAA Insurance

USAA insurance offers one of the best values you'll find, and their claims service is outstanding, too. USAA's policy premiums are very competitively priced, and the coverage is usually better than you will find elsewhere.

We used to get a number of calls from telemarketers trying to get us to switch auto insurance companies, or offering to compare auto insurance. It was always entertaining to listen to them read their spiel, and then say, "Well, thanks for your call, but you can't beat my auto insurance rates."

Naturally, that was a challenge to them, so they'd inevitably say, "Well, who's your car insurance with? I'll give you an idea of how much we can save you." I would say, "USAA," and could almost hear them swallow hard before saying, "You're right, we can't beat your insurance. Have a nice day." (Some people are easily entertained.)

You could save as much as $600 a year by switching your auto insurance to USAA. You have nothing to lose and money to gain -- compare auto insurance! Call them today for an automobile insurance quote and see if their rates don't beat what you're currently paying if you're insured anywhere else.

And you'll save on your renters insurance, homeowners insurance and life insurance as well. If you read the fine print on a life insurance contract, you'll almost invariably find an exclusion for "acts of war," or "hostile-fire situations," or something similar. That means the insurance policy won't pay if your loved one dies as a result of his or her service in a war zone.

You won't find those exclusions in a USAA life insurance policy, because USAA understands that its members are professional military men and women, and those are everyday risks for them. Policies with those exclusions are almost worthless to a military family, so make sure you read the fine print before you purchase a life insurance policy on someone who is in the military.

USAA Banking Services

USAA banking services will also save you a bundle, and will offer you more convenience than you'll find in any other banking institution with which we're familiar.

What's so great about USAA military banking? Well, for starters, how about FREE checking? And we mean REALLY FREE CHECKING!

USAA's checking accounts offer:

• FREE worldwide ATM use
• FREE unlimited funds transfers to any U.S. bank
• FREE checks
• NO monthly fees, regardless of your balance
• Interest on the balance
• FREE USAA Web BillPay®

and our personal favorite:

• FREE USAA Deposit@Home-SM. This allows you (subject to credit approval) to make deposits from any computer with a scanner attached. You simply scan the check (both sides) and e-mail it to USAA. You never need to put the check in the mail, drive it to the mailbox or post office, and wait 7-10 days for it to be posted. Your deposited funds are posted to your account immediately. What a time-saver! And with the cost of gas these days, this feature saves you even more money. There's also a convenient USAA app for your iPhone or Android phone.
• Online access to your account information 24/7. You can view and manage transactions in your account from anywhere, at any time, as long as you have access to a computer with an internet connection, even if you're on a ship at sea, or in Baghdad or Kabul.
• You can even open a checking account on line.

In addition to feature-laden free checking account services, USAA loans and credit card account services are second to none, with some of the most reasonable interest rates you'll find.

We were pleasantly surprised a few months ago to open our mail and find a notice from USAA that they had voluntarily reduced the interest rate on an auto loan! We hadn't asked for that, so imagine our surprise. How many banks do you know that will reduce the interest rate on a loan without being asked? Or even if you do ask?

USAA's credit card interest rates are some of the best you'll find, too, and they generally have a longer grace period than credit cards from other banks. So if you're looking for a low apr credit card, USAA is the place.

Need Investment Advice?

USAA also offers brokerage services to assist you with investment decisions. Their staff of independent certified financial planners work without commission to ensure that you get the advice that generates the best result for YOU, not the most commission for the financial advisor.

Have you gotten the message that we very highly recommend USAA? Someone in our family has been a member of USAA since 1967, and in those 50 years, we've never found a company that we'd place ahead of USAA for any of the services it offers.

Who's Eligible?

USAA membership is open to:

• Active-duty officers and enlisted personnel.
• National Guard and Selected Reserve officers and enlisted personnel.
• Officer candidates in commissioning programs (Academy, ROTC, OCS/OTS). If you or a family member fit into this category, be sure to take advantage of USAA membership while eligible. That way, even if you don't complete the commissioning program for some reason, you've still secured a lifetime of USAA membership benefits.
• Former military personnel: These rules have recently changed to open up USAA membership to anyone who has ever served honorably. This means if you have an honorable discharge, you're eligible.
• Former USAA members who had property or auto insurance.
• Children of USAA members. So be sure to enroll your children for their own membership as soon as they turn 18 (although if they live at home or are full-time students, it will save money to keep them on YOUR policy). This is one of the best gifts you can give them, and it will serve them well for their lifetime. Since children of USAA members are eligible for membership, as long as each succeeding generation remembers to enroll its children, your family can continue the legacy of USAA membership based solely upon your U.S. military service.

So if you're not already a member, join USAA today! You'll be glad you did!

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