USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
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USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I've had car insurance with Auto Owners for many years. Last year their rates went up 26% and this year they're up 21%. I decided to get a quote from USAA and was shocked to see that their quote was 41% more than Auto Owners was quoting. I didn't seek any other quotes after that. Is there much of a likelihood than anyone other than a lower tier provider could do better?
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
No one here can answer that. I would shop 4 or 5 more companies to find out. You can get quotes online from all the major insurers.
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
try running it through the insurance broker who does your house or something. i have never had success going direct through a company.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
How you are eligible for USAA coverage matters. If you are a retired officer their rate structure can be very different than if you are the child of an enlisted member (as an example). Shop around. USAA has taken good care of us the few times we have needed them but since my spouse is a retired officer with 23 years of service and 35+ years of USAA membership I think we are a top tier customer.
Warning: I am about 80% satisficer (accepting of good enough) and 20% maximizer
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I went from USAA to Geico 6 months ago. I was able to get the same coverage at Geico for 38% of the USAA cost. In the end I gave myself even more coverage and it was still less than half the price. USAA as far as I can tell is not a rate leader, nor anywhere close to one.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
There's what insurance costs, and there's the quality of the coverage. USAA generally scores #1 or 2 every year in Consumer Reports, or every time they rate insurance companies.
The few times I have had to use my USAA insurance policy, it's been the most hassle free experience. Only one time did I have to switch to another company (long story), and it wasn't until I did that, that I learned what an adjustor was. Prior to that, I was usually used to USAA just saying they're sorry that my car had been damaged, and just told me to take it to one of their approved body shops. And the body shops? Their eyes light up and they breath a sigh of relief the moment you let them know you're insured by USAA.
It's like most things in life; more often than not, you get what you pay for.
The few times I have had to use my USAA insurance policy, it's been the most hassle free experience. Only one time did I have to switch to another company (long story), and it wasn't until I did that, that I learned what an adjustor was. Prior to that, I was usually used to USAA just saying they're sorry that my car had been damaged, and just told me to take it to one of their approved body shops. And the body shops? Their eyes light up and they breath a sigh of relief the moment you let them know you're insured by USAA.
It's like most things in life; more often than not, you get what you pay for.
Last edited by azanon on Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I dropped USAA years ago because of price and bad service. Very expensive compared to other companies.
A friend of mine is in the process of dropping USAA for the same reasons.
I have had great service from GEICO (two claims and great outcomes w/no hassle).
A friend of mine is in the process of dropping USAA for the same reasons.
I have had great service from GEICO (two claims and great outcomes w/no hassle).
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Geico, no hassles, lower rate.
As always, YMMV!
As always, YMMV!
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Their prices have always kept me with other car insurance companies. I do have my mortgage through USAA (though I don't care for the company that they have contracted out servicing the loans for, but that's a different story).
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Not a car insurance matter, I suppose, but there was a recent story on CBS Evening News (I think...) about the mudslides in California and how many homeowners were getting coverage denial notices by their insurance company, even when such losses were (according to the homeowners, I suppose) supposed to be covered by the insurance policy.azanon wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:40 am There's what insurance costs, and there's the quality of the coverage. USAA generally scores #1 or 2 every year in Consumer Reports, or every time they rate insurance companies.
The few times I have had to use my USAA insurance policy, it's been the most hassle free experience. Only one time did I have to switch to another company (long story), and it wasn't until I did that, that I learned what an adjustor was. Prior to that, I was usually used to USAA just saying they're sorry that my car had been damaged, and just told me to take it to one of their approved body shops. And the body shops? Their eyes light up and they breath a sigh of relief the moment you let them know you're insured by USAA.
It's like most things in life; more often than not, you get what you pay for.
According to the story, the most prevalent insurance company denying claims was USAA.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
My father is retired AF, has had USAA forever(ins and banking).
I've had to help with some insurance and account issues since they are getting older.
USAA has terrible customer service - their agents don't even know USAA policies or service. It is literally an ordeal to call them and get the same answer to questions. I have always had to bump up the level of questions to the supervisor level.
My brother opted to get USAA too, since 'dad has it, it must be good'.
He had to report a minor fender bender on a trip with a rental (not his fault) - the agent was unresponsive to his report.
Whenever I see those USAA member for life commercials, I ask 'why?'
I've had to help with some insurance and account issues since they are getting older.
USAA has terrible customer service - their agents don't even know USAA policies or service. It is literally an ordeal to call them and get the same answer to questions. I have always had to bump up the level of questions to the supervisor level.
My brother opted to get USAA too, since 'dad has it, it must be good'.
He had to report a minor fender bender on a trip with a rental (not his fault) - the agent was unresponsive to his report.
Whenever I see those USAA member for life commercials, I ask 'why?'
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I have USAA, I agree they are rather high.
I got a quote from Geico and was about to save ~50%! But before we finalized the deal, Geico noticed that I had a couple recent accidents (very minor fender benders.) All of a sudden the Geico quote was 30% higher than my existing USAA premium.
I'm still with USAA, going through my 3-year "insurance purgatory." Once I'm in the clear I'll shop around again. USAA is good but they're likely somewhat overpriced.
I got a quote from Geico and was about to save ~50%! But before we finalized the deal, Geico noticed that I had a couple recent accidents (very minor fender benders.) All of a sudden the Geico quote was 30% higher than my existing USAA premium.
I'm still with USAA, going through my 3-year "insurance purgatory." Once I'm in the clear I'll shop around again. USAA is good but they're likely somewhat overpriced.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Probably those following this thread will need to decide which is more reliable; anecdotal accounts or sources like Consumer Reports.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
When I first got a car and got auto insurance (13 years ago...) I shopped around extensively, and USAA was quite cost competitive for the insurance needs I had.
Roughly 5 years ago I did research into top tier insurers and cross-shopped with Amica (pretty much tied with USAA for the top spot) and again, rate was competitive.
When my car was totaled last year, USAA was great at handling it. Really solid valuation, appraiser was gentle on grading condition of the car, and really fast payout. *I* was the one holding the process up! Rate hasn't gone up as a result either.
That said, I did have an issue with a non-responsive agent during the process, but had no problems going around them; the general support line was great at getting me to someone who could provide the answers to my questions and take the steps to move things along. And when I mentioned the problem with her in the online feedback form I wound up receiving a call from someone significantly up the food chain wanting to know what had gone on and after explaining the situation they said that they'd be directing her manager to pull call records and recordings. First time with any company that I've had feedback not just disappear into a black hole.
Roughly 5 years ago I did research into top tier insurers and cross-shopped with Amica (pretty much tied with USAA for the top spot) and again, rate was competitive.
When my car was totaled last year, USAA was great at handling it. Really solid valuation, appraiser was gentle on grading condition of the car, and really fast payout. *I* was the one holding the process up! Rate hasn't gone up as a result either.
That said, I did have an issue with a non-responsive agent during the process, but had no problems going around them; the general support line was great at getting me to someone who could provide the answers to my questions and take the steps to move things along. And when I mentioned the problem with her in the online feedback form I wound up receiving a call from someone significantly up the food chain wanting to know what had gone on and after explaining the situation they said that they'd be directing her manager to pull call records and recordings. First time with any company that I've had feedback not just disappear into a black hole.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I'm a veteran and I find the USAA veteran family's only gimmick more annoying than enticing. If I want a quote from them they want me to dig out my DD214 from 25 years ago. Like I'm applying for an actual veteran's benefit. Only then will I be allowed to purchase the super special USAA mutual fund with the 1.22% ER. Because obviously they have veteran's best interests at heart by offering products like that.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
The total amount of our annual spending that goes to home, auto, and umbrella coverage is so tiny that wasting time on a better or worse quote would be silly. I can understand that these items might loom larger in some household budgets.
I find USAA service to be perfectly fine, but we haven't had to have an interaction with them for so long (more than ten years for sure) that there is no data point here. USAA investments are blatantly too expensive and would not be recommended to anyone.
I find USAA service to be perfectly fine, but we haven't had to have an interaction with them for so long (more than ten years for sure) that there is no data point here. USAA investments are blatantly too expensive and would not be recommended to anyone.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
After having USAA for years, we switched to Geico less than a year ago. USAA's customer service was always excellent when we dealt with them, but Geico's quoted rate almost half of what we were paying, even after increasing some coverage levels.(I recall it saved us over $600/year) We considered the customer service aspect as well, but after thinking it over, we realized we'd actually only had to deal with car insurance claims about 3 times over the course of about 18 years. I didn't think paying almost 2x the price for something I used so infrequently was worth it. We still have our home owner's insurance through them, since their rates were competitive, but we couldn't justify keeping our car insurance business there.
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I just had the same experience. Two weeks ago I switched to Geico, saving ~20%. Then they noted a parking lot fender bender from ~3 years ago and raised the premium by 70%. I called and cancelled yesterday. Good thing I never got around to cancelling my USAA insurance.sunny_socal wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:56 am I have USAA, I agree they are rather high.
I got a quote from Geico and was about to save ~50%! But before we finalized the deal, Geico noticed that I had a couple recent accidents (very minor fender benders.) All of a sudden the Geico quote was 30% higher than my existing USAA premium.
I'm still with USAA, going through my 3-year "insurance purgatory." Once I'm in the clear I'll shop around again. USAA is good but they're likely somewhat overpriced.
I've never had a complaint about USAA's service.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Indeed. 3% of my gross income was on car insurance alone with USAA. Now I have better coverage and it's less than 1.5% with a competitor. Time well spent.
And unless you are already retired today, I'd argue time worth considering even for the wealthy who want to retire early. The slippery slope of lifestyle inflation does not take heed of arbitrary perceptions of" time wasting". Rather it is based on actual math. If you have a target amount for retirement, then saving $50 a month on insurance over a few years should be several days of labor saved even if you make hundreds per day. So, dozens of hours of labor (hundreds+ as the years go on) saved for getting a quote in a quarter-hour.
If you will retire regardless of wealth at a certain date, however, then it is of no concern, of course.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
With USAA multiple policy discounts make a huge difference. So auto on its own might not be that competitive compared to alternatives. Put auto, home and umbrella together and the package may be very competitive compared to separate policies with each of the lowest priced alternatives for those services.
I have to imagine the competitiveness on auto probably varies a lot from state to state as well.
I have to imagine the competitiveness on auto probably varies a lot from state to state as well.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
When you get a quote from GEICO, or any company for that matter, you are supposed to report all accidents regardless of fault in your application within a certain time period. It seems you didn't, and GEICO adjusted the quote. Seems fair to me.sunny_socal wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:56 am
I got a quote from Geico and was about to save ~50%! But before we finalized the deal, Geico noticed that I had a couple recent accidents (very minor fender benders.) All of a sudden the Geico quote was 30% higher than my existing USAA premium.
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
From GEICO's applicationsplendiferous wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:18 amI just had the same experience. Two weeks ago I switched to Geico, saving ~20%. Then they noted a parking lot fender bender from ~3 years ago and raised the premium by 70%. I called and cancelled yesterday. Good thing I never got around to cancelling my USAA insurance.sunny_socal wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:56 am I have USAA, I agree they are rather high.
I got a quote from Geico and was about to save ~50%! But before we finalized the deal, Geico noticed that I had a couple recent accidents (very minor fender benders.) All of a sudden the Geico quote was 30% higher than my existing USAA premium.
I'm still with USAA, going through my 3-year "insurance purgatory." Once I'm in the clear I'll shop around again. USAA is good but they're likely somewhat overpriced.
I've never had a complaint about USAA's service.
I am glad GEICO double-checks applications and doesn't rely on user-provided data. Keeps premiums down for everyone.If you have had any of the following, please add them below.
Accidents (regardless of fault) in the last 5 years?
Traffic Tickets in the last 5 years?
DUIs in the last 10 years?
Suspensions or Revocations in the last 5 years?
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
This thread prompted me to go get a quote from GEICO. Once I adjusted the coverage to match what I have now, the rates were basically identical.
It did get me to go reduce my coverage on USAA to save $400/year though. I bumped up my Comprehensive deductible and dropped non-accident collision coverage, because I don't plan on running into a bridge any time soon.
It did get me to go reduce my coverage on USAA to save $400/year though. I bumped up my Comprehensive deductible and dropped non-accident collision coverage, because I don't plan on running into a bridge any time soon.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Similar experience to me, often times the savings are down to slightly different coverage. I'm fairly certain this is what the highly advertised Progressive does in their "comparisons".
One thing I do like about USAA is you can tweak your coverage online and immediately see the savings. Makes it easier to fine tune coverage appropriate to your situation and finances.It did get me to go reduce my coverage on USAA to save $400/year though. I bumped up my Comprehensive deductible and dropped non-accident collision coverage, because I don't plan on running into a bridge any time soon.
Worth paying careful attention to what each coverage relates to. Living in a new state I hadn't appreciated the different insurance laws in the state. Liability was unusually low but collision was surprisingly high. We usually run collision on newer vehicles and no collision on older vehicles so this meant in the new state our older vehicle coverage was quite low once collision was turned off.
In the previous state my thought process was "if we get hit it is likely the other parties fault and liability will cover, if it is our fault I'm fine paying for our own collision damage or sucking up a totaled older vehicle". In our new state though it is "no fault" insurance meaning that even if the accident is determined to be 99% one party's fault and 1% the other party's fault then no liability policies pay out on either side. That was why the liability policy was so cheap and the collision so expensive, in this state liability rarely pays out and collision is usually the policy that is burdened. So without say a dash cam or plenty of witnesses even an accident that isn't your fault is likely to come out of your collision policy rather than the "at fault" driver's liability policy.
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I had USAA auto insurance for about 25 years. I'd compare costs with other companies periodically and USAA had always been competitive. About 2-3 years ago, I noticed regular >10% increases every 6 months. Last year I had enough and checked around. Now paying Geico for a similar policy for <40% of what I was paying USAA.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Your best bet is to shop around for car insurance and grab different quotes. What USAA does not make clear in their commercials is there are several underwriters under the USAA house brand depending on your affiliation (officer, dependent of officer, senior enlisted, junior enlisted, grandson/daughter of service member, divorcee, etc.). Yes, they are all USAA policies and USAA is not simply reselling somebody elses coverage (Geico, state farm, etc.), rather the best rates are reserved for officers or retired officers. Everything else is downhill from there...
Thank God for Wall Street Bets.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
LifeOfRiley wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:02 pm I had USAA auto insurance for about 25 years. I'd compare costs with other companies periodically and USAA had always been competitive. About 2-3 years ago, I noticed regular >10% increases every 6 months. Last year I had enough and checked around. Now paying Geico for a similar policy for <40% of what I was paying USAA.
Geico is actually a bit cheaper for me as well... by like $60 per year. It's not enough for me to move though. But, I have heard Geico has teaser rates for the first year or two, and then slowly jacks them up the longer you have them. I also heard if you're a berkshire hathaway shareholder, you can get an 8% discount on your rate --- call first to see if you can get by with one share.
Last edited by Helo80 on Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thank God for Wall Street Bets.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Old news. USAA is paying the claims.Random Poster wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:41 amNot a car insurance matter, I suppose, but there was a recent story on CBS Evening News (I think...) about the mudslides in California and how many homeowners were getting coverage denial notices by their insurance company, even when such losses were (according to the homeowners, I suppose) supposed to be covered by the insurance policy.azanon wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:40 am There's what insurance costs, and there's the quality of the coverage. USAA generally scores #1 or 2 every year in Consumer Reports, or every time they rate insurance companies.
The few times I have had to use my USAA insurance policy, it's been the most hassle free experience. Only one time did I have to switch to another company (long story), and it wasn't until I did that, that I learned what an adjustor was. Prior to that, I was usually used to USAA just saying they're sorry that my car had been damaged, and just told me to take it to one of their approved body shops. And the body shops? Their eyes light up and they breath a sigh of relief the moment you let them know you're insured by USAA.
It's like most things in life; more often than not, you get what you pay for.
According to the story, the most prevalent insurance company denying claims was USAA.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Only after a home owner got a facilitator to make good and then getting shamed on tv.Gort wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:32 pmOld news. USAA is paying the claims.Random Poster wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:41 amNot a car insurance matter, I suppose, but there was a recent story on CBS Evening News (I think...) about the mudslides in California and how many homeowners were getting coverage denial notices by their insurance company, even when such losses were (according to the homeowners, I suppose) supposed to be covered by the insurance policy.azanon wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:40 am There's what insurance costs, and there's the quality of the coverage. USAA generally scores #1 or 2 every year in Consumer Reports, or every time they rate insurance companies.
The few times I have had to use my USAA insurance policy, it's been the most hassle free experience. Only one time did I have to switch to another company (long story), and it wasn't until I did that, that I learned what an adjustor was. Prior to that, I was usually used to USAA just saying they're sorry that my car had been damaged, and just told me to take it to one of their approved body shops. And the body shops? Their eyes light up and they breath a sigh of relief the moment you let them know you're insured by USAA.
It's like most things in life; more often than not, you get what you pay for.
According to the story, the most prevalent insurance company denying claims was USAA.
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Yup -- I've been a long time USAA member, with an immaculate driving record, and my wife is a Federal employee, also w/a clean record. We have 3 vehicles, $1000 deductible on each, with uninsured motorist coverage, collision and comp, and after going through the Geico's on-line quote system, to make the coverage as identical as possible, they were $10/mo. cheaper. Not worth changing, IMO.
Not sure how folks are seeing a 40% discount.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I'm an active duty officer and have had USAA for 6 years. I have checking, 2.5% unlimited cashback card, car insurance, home insurance, and mortgage with them. I shopped my car insurance out of curiosity and I believe GEICO was 15% cheaper. I thought about it long and hard but in the end kept USAA. I've had only good experiences with them.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
USAA is not usually the cheapest -but I found they usually take care of you a lot better than other companies do when something does go wrong.
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
As always, a lot of very interesting, insightful responses. My biggest surprise was the comments about different rates for different military pay grades. I'm an honorably discharged E-5 that served 50 years ago and my lot in life has certainly changed considerable since then. I'm a bit surprised that a 50 year old data point is controlling my insurance rates in 2018. I also realized that I was not comparing apples-to-apples. My Auto Owners rate involved a multi policy discount whereas I only asked for an auto quote from USAA.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
We've had USAA since the 80s. The last ten years or so they have really gone down hill in terms of price and service and are no longer competitive on either account. The phone service is appalling. It seems like the doggedly loyal USAA customers are either not comparing costs or have not needed service recently.
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Three calls in 25 years for auto accidents. '95, '99, '17. Each time super painless. Last year was a deer hit 80 miles from home. Crazy easy. Go here for a rental, direct bill. Go to this shop, direct bill. Oh, the vehicle is 80 miles away undrivable? Call that shop and let them know a tow truck is coming. I had forgotten in 18 years how good USAA is when it comes to auto. But that is a core competency for them. Like Vanguard with low fees.
The bundling with auto, home, others does seem to have a large impact on the premium.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
After 47 years with Liberty Mutual I quoted around for the first time in many years. Everyone was less expensive and Geico was about 33% of Liberty's charges.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Been with the lizard for 10 years. We had one claim that went very smoothly. Periodically I'll shop around but the rates are higher elsewhere.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
If a person wants the least cost for things then that person has to shop. It is that simple and applies to everything one spends money on.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
Normal mutual insurance companies distribute profits back to all shareholders equally. I think USAA only distributes profits back to officers and senior NCOs. I don't think family members or junior enlisted even technically get to join USAA, they get sold some other insurance that gets relabeled as USAA.LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:38 am As always, a lot of very interesting, insightful responses. My biggest surprise was the comments about different rates for different military pay grades. I'm an honorably discharged E-5 that served 50 years ago and my lot in life has certainly changed considerable since then. I'm a bit surprised that a 50 year old data point is controlling my insurance rates in 2018. I also realized that I was not comparing apples-to-apples. My Auto Owners rate involved a multi policy discount whereas I only asked for an auto quote from USAA.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:10 am I've had car insurance with Auto Owners for many years. Last year their rates went up 26% and this year they're up 21%. I decided to get a quote from USAA and was shocked to see that their quote was 41% more than Auto Owners was quoting. I didn't seek any other quotes after that. Is there much of a likelihood than anyone other than a lower tier provider could do better?
I'm a little surprised too, because USAA doesn't price their auto insurance based on rank.LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:38 am As always, a lot of very interesting, insightful responses. My biggest surprise was the comments about different rates for different military pay grades. I'm an honorably discharged E-5 that served 50 years ago and my lot in life has certainly changed considerable since then. I'm a bit surprised that a 50 year old data point is controlling my insurance rates in 2018. I also realized that I was not comparing apples-to-apples. My Auto Owners rate involved a multi policy discount whereas I only asked for an auto quote from USAA.
USAA opened their membership to all ranks in 1996 and >20 years later there are still enlisted vets who are annoyed that they couldn't use USAA before then.
The only difference between military members (servicemembers & vets) and family members is that the military members have a Subscriber Account. USAA generally pays out a small annual amount from that account as a way of managing their reserves in a mutual insurance company structure.
The price hikes are rarely about the policy holder's driving record. USAA prices their policies according to over 50 state/territory laws, and many times they can't even use the member's driving experience in setting rates.
The rate hikes are probably a function of your ZIP code. There have been too many accidents there over the past few years, or USAA has too many customers there ("concentration risk") and so they're using yield pricing to more accurately reflect their risks. They also know that they're driving some members to other insurance companies, but they're shedding a lot of risk in a specific geographic area (or type of vehicle) while only losing a minor amount of revenue.
USAA also makes each program stand on its own revenues, so there are no loss leaders. They won't try to boost market share by underpricing their policies while hoping that nothing too bad happens.
Here's more details on USAA's business models and vehicle insurance:
https://the-military-guide.com/auto-insurance-premiums-rising-not-just/ (interview with the exec in charge of property & casualty)
https://the-military-guide.com/usaa-answers-insurance-financial-questions/ (general policies & member info)
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Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
USAA costumer here, car and home. Wife is daughter of retired General, we receive distributions.essbeer wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 8:40 amNormal mutual insurance companies distribute profits back to all shareholders equally. I think USAA only distributes profits back to officers and senior NCOs. I don't think family members or junior enlisted even technically get to join USAA, they get sold some other insurance that gets relabeled as USAA.LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:38 am As always, a lot of very interesting, insightful responses. My biggest surprise was the comments about different rates for different military pay grades. I'm an honorably discharged E-5 that served 50 years ago and my lot in life has certainly changed considerable since then. I'm a bit surprised that a 50 year old data point is controlling my insurance rates in 2018. I also realized that I was not comparing apples-to-apples. My Auto Owners rate involved a multi policy discount whereas I only asked for an auto quote from USAA.
I haven’t shopped around but our car insuranxe is about $300/biannually. If that’s high for the newer car we have I’d be surprised.
We’ve had three claims with USAA and one whereca brand new car was a lemon with a blown engine. USAA was a godsend each time to deal with.
YMMV
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
What I really like about USAA is how amenable they are to folks living overseas. I'm only in the States a couple of months per year. They easily change the auto policy to a 'storage policy' when the vehicles are on trickle chargers when I'm away, and it's a fraction of the normal rate.
Not sure if GEICO and others do that.
Not sure if GEICO and others do that.
Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance
I was a USAA member since age 17, that was 41 years ago. Left them last year when Geico quoted me 50% less for auto. Four cars, two old fogies and a 20 year old daughter. Appreciated the Subscriber Savings Account check as well. They are trying to be too much for too many instead of the low cost, professional officer insurer. IMHO.