USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
LifeIsGood
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:43 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by LifeIsGood »

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?
denovo
Posts: 4808
Joined: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by denovo »

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
tmcc
Posts: 450
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2018 5:38 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by tmcc »

try running it through the insurance broker who does your house or something. i have never had success going direct through a company.
stan1
Posts: 14235
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:35 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by stan1 »

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
Crisium
Posts: 206
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2016 8:52 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Crisium »

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.
azanon
Posts: 3142
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2011 9:34 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by azanon »

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.
Last edited by azanon on Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
grettman
Posts: 768
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:47 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by grettman »

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).
bob60014
Posts: 3739
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: The Land Beyond ORD

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by bob60014 »

Geico, no hassles, lower rate.

As always, YMMV!
jlcnuke
Posts: 434
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:26 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by jlcnuke »

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).
Random Poster
Posts: 3314
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:17 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Random Poster »

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.
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.

According to the story, the most prevalent insurance company denying claims was USAA.
BBQ Nut
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 9:19 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by BBQ Nut »

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?'
User avatar
sunny_socal
Posts: 2732
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:22 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by sunny_socal »

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.
azanon
Posts: 3142
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2011 9:34 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by azanon »

Probably those following this thread will need to decide which is more reliable; anecdotal accounts or sources like Consumer Reports.
Khanmots
Posts: 1241
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:27 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Khanmots »

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.
essbeer
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 6:23 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by essbeer »

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.
dbr
Posts: 46137
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:50 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by dbr »

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.
FreemanB
Posts: 374
Joined: Thu May 22, 2014 5:55 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by FreemanB »

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.
splendiferous
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:00 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by splendiferous »

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 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.

I've never had a complaint about USAA's service.
Crisium
Posts: 206
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2016 8:52 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Crisium »

dbr wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:45 am 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.
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.
thx1138
Posts: 1164
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:14 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by thx1138 »

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.
denovo
Posts: 4808
Joined: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by denovo »

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.

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.
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
denovo
Posts: 4808
Joined: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by denovo »

splendiferous wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:18 am
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 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.

I've never had a complaint about USAA's service.
From GEICO's application


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?
I am glad GEICO double-checks applications and doesn't rely on user-provided data. Keeps premiums down for everyone.
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
a5ehren
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 7:48 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by a5ehren »

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.
thx1138
Posts: 1164
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 2:14 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by thx1138 »

a5ehren wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:38 pm 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.
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".
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.
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.

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.
LifeOfRiley
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 10:46 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by LifeOfRiley »

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.
User avatar
Helo80
Posts: 2125
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Unsophisticated Investor

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Helo80 »

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.
User avatar
Helo80
Posts: 2125
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Unsophisticated Investor

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Helo80 »

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.
User avatar
Gort
Posts: 963
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:07 pm
Location: Texas

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Gort »

Random Poster wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:41 am
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.
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.

According to the story, the most prevalent insurance company denying claims was USAA.
Old news. USAA is paying the claims.
BBQ Nut
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 9:19 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by BBQ Nut »

Gort wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:32 pm
Random Poster wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:41 am
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.
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.

According to the story, the most prevalent insurance company denying claims was USAA.
Old news. USAA is paying the claims.
Only after a home owner got a facilitator to make good and then getting shamed on tv.
nick evets
Posts: 311
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2017 4:40 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by nick evets »

a5ehren wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:38 pm 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.
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.
youngin87
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 11:25 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by youngin87 »

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.
danaht
Posts: 816
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:28 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by danaht »

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.
Topic Author
LifeIsGood
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:43 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by LifeIsGood »

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.
User avatar
snackdog
Posts: 3079
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:57 am
Location: PNW

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by snackdog »

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.
BH Consumer FAQ: | Car? Used Toyota, Lexus or Miata. | House? 20% down and 3x salary. | Vacation house? No. | Umbrella? $1 million. | Goods? Costco.
Silverado
Posts: 1636
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 6:07 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Silverado »

danaht wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:32 pm 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.
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.
User avatar
midareff
Posts: 7711
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:43 am
Location: Biscayne Bay, South Florida

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by midareff »

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.
Eric76
Posts: 224
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 3:02 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Eric76 »

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.
User avatar
Toons
Posts: 14459
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 9:20 am
Location: Hills of Tennessee

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Toons »

Shop Geico
Get A Quote Online.
Not Affiliated :happy
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
dbr
Posts: 46137
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:50 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by dbr »

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.
essbeer
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 6:23 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by essbeer »

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.
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.
User avatar
Nords
Posts: 292
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Oahu
Contact:

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Nords »

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?
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'm a little surprised too, because USAA doesn't price their auto insurance based on rank.

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)
* | * | Please see my profile for my next book. I don't read every post, so please PM or e-mail me to get my attention.
canderson
Posts: 476
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2012 8:12 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by canderson »

essbeer wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2018 8:40 am
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.
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.
USAA costumer here, car and home. Wife is daughter of retired General, we receive distributions.

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
Diogenes
Posts: 602
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:58 pm

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Diogenes »

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.
Fitzhugh
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:43 am

Re: USAA 41% More For Car Insurance

Post by Fitzhugh »

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.
Post Reply