USAA Auto Insurance Ratings

Best Auto Insurance Companies 2021: How USAA compares

Best car insurance for military

If you are retired or active military, or the spouse or child of a former or active member of the military, USAA will likely rise to the top of your list of auto insurance choices. That is precisely what happened in our 2021 review of Best Car Insurance Companies where they earned the ranking of Best Car Insurance for Former or Current Military. USAA has historically ranked at the top of the "best" list, and this year was no exception, as it beat competitors in all metrics, but because of its limited membership, was not included in the overall best ranking.

USAA customers report being treated like family by USAA representatives, having their unique needs addressed and a hassle-free claims process. This explains why they received an InsureScore of four stars in claims, customer service and website & app. 

SafePilot is a usage-based program USAA offers that can reward you up to 20% by exhibiting safe driving behaviors. They also offer a variety of discounts, but one worth special mention is their discount for storing a car on a military base. If you are deployed or frequently traveling and can leave your vehicle garaged on base, you will get a discount. 

Knowing that military members often spend a lot of time away from their loved ones, USAA offers extra perks like 25% off FTD Flowers orders, heavy discounts up to 36% on FedEx shipping and more. 

Ninety-four percent of USAA customers said they plan to renew their policies and 93% of customers said they would recommend USAA to someone they know.

Gauging an insurance company

Before buying with a company it is wise to check on a company's financial strength and complaint record. The A.M. Best rating listed above gives you an idea of USAA's financial strength to pay claims. A complaint ratio can be found on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) site. The median complaint ratio from the NAIC is always 1.00. This means half of the insurers have a complaint ratio of under 1.00 and half have a ratio above. Basically, numbers lower than 1.00 are better with fewer complaints than the median and a number higher than 1.00 has more complaints than the median.

Company Background

Operating without brick-and-mortar locations

USAA began as the United States Army Automobile Association in 1922. Today, the company provides financial products to more than 11 million members worldwide. Since military members cannot regularly access brick-and-mortar locations, USAA operates without them and is a leader in online and telephone functionality and customer service.

Members who do banking with USAA enjoy convenient features such as low- or no-cost accounts and the use any ATM with the ATM fee waived or refunded. Members also have access to special rates for buying and financing cars, as well as discounts for car storage.

Consider USAA for military families

If you are eligible for USAA membership, the coverages and competitive rates are are hard to beat.

USAA offers membership to active military, former military, military family (defined as widows, widowers, and un-remarried former spouses and individuals whose parents have had USAA auto or property insurance), cadets and midshipmen at U.S. service academies. Military members and veterans who have been honorably discharged can pass down their membership to the next generation.

It is licensed to sell automobile insurance in all states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Contact information

Corporate Headquarters
9800 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio, TX 78288
General: 1-800-531-8722
Claims: 1-210-531-8722