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7.4

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: January 19th, 2023

United Services Automobile Association, more commonly referred to as USAA Federal Savings Bank, began as an insurer for military members and their families.

USAA's life insurance policies continue after the insured person leaves the military. USAA life insurance is an especially great choice for military servicemembers.

USAA offers term, military term, whole, and universal life insurance. USAA's military term policy includes a $25,000 severe injury benefit.

USAA also has strong financial ratings, which indicates its financial strength and means it is reliable when it comes to paying claims.

It was founded in 1920 by a handful of servicemen who found it difficult to get life insurance coverage from insurance companies due to the "high risk" ratings that their professions gave them.

Over the years, USAA has gained a reputation of providing quality financial and banking services to military service members. The company currently has over eight million members and is worth more than $19 billion, making it one of the largest insurers in the United States.

In addition to life insurance, USAA has financial services, banking, credit card offers, car insurance, homeowner's insurance, renters insurance, and more of its members. Members even can find health insurance through USAA.

USAA emphasizes insurance coverage of all types for members of the military and their families. Many of their life insurance coverage options also include provisions for children of the policyholders.

USAA also has high customer ratings, which indicate a high level of customer satisfaction. Continue reading our USAA life insurance review and customer reviews to learn more about why USAA insurance may be a good fit for you.

Read USAA Life Insurance Reviews

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The Good

  • High Ratings
  • Positive Customer Reviews
  • Life Insurance Policies Available
  • High-Risk Coverage
  • Flexible Terms
  • Easy-to-Use Website

High Ratings

USAA holds a financial rating of A++ from A.M. Best, Aa1 from Moody's Investor Service, and AA+ from Standard and Poor's. Financial strength ratings indicate how likely an insurance provider is to meet its claims obligations. These high ratings indicate that USAA is financially stable and able to meet its financial obligations.

Customer reviews on Best Company also rate USAA highly. USAA has received a 4.8/5 star-rating from reviewers. This high rating further demonstrates the level of service and quality USAA offers its clients.

Positive Customer Reviews

USAA has received mostly 4- or 5-star ratings from reviewers on Best Company. These positive experiences indicate that USAA member satisfaction is high. Positive reviewers mention an overall experience with USAA's services and insurance products, not just life insurance. Positive reviews also reflect customer satisfaction with cost and coverage.

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Jesse Rice from Long Beach, Mississippi

"My family is USAA everything and when it came to doing our life insurance we shopped around and got the best coverage for me and my wife so are kids will never have to worry. Thanks USAA"

Life Insurance Policies Available

USAA offers four kinds of life insurance to its members:

  • Term Life Insurance
  • Military Term Life Insurance
  • Whole Life Insurance
  • Universal Life Insurance

USAA's term policies last as long as 30 years without changes to monthly life insurance premiums. With these plans, USAA also offers a free financial plan for beneficiaries and the ability to add life insurance coverage for children.

The Military Term life insurance policy includes an additional $25,000 severe injury benefit for policyholders.

This coverage of bodily injury provides additional value to military families because medical costs are high, especially for severe injuries.

Whether you need a term life policy while deployed or for one of your family members, USAA offers valuable coverage options.

If you're looking for a permanent policy, you can purchase USAA whole life insurance or universal life insurance.

USAA's Whole Life Insurance and Universal Life insurance policies last a lifetime and accrue additional cash value. As with the term policies, USAA also offers a free financial plan for beneficiaries with its permanent life insurance plans.

The monthly premiums for USAA's Whole Life Insurance plans remains consistent throughout the policy. Members with a Whole Life Insurance plan can also purchase coverage for their children under this plan.

The payments for USAA's Universal Life Insurance plans can be flexible and change over the course of the policy.

As you evaluate your life insurance options, remember that the policy only remains active as long as you make the premium payments. Be clear with your insurance agent, and make sure that you find coverage that will meet your needs and fit your budget nicely.

With most policies, you'll have to have a medical exam as part of the underwriting process. Underwriting determines the risk associated with insuring an individual for an insurance company and determines the life insurance rates you qualify for. Unless you're applying for a guaranteed acceptance policy, you'll need to follow through with a medical exam when you apply for coverage regardless of the life insurance company.

High Risk Coverage

USAA covers all military personnel, including active duty, and their families. In addition to providing a death benefit, USAA also provides insurance coverage for acts of war and includes payouts of up to $25,000 for war time injuries. A term insurance policy from USAA is an excellent option for military members. Its plans cover high risk military personnel better than almost any other on the market.

Flexible Terms

USAA's Universal and Whole Life insurance policies do have the option of a flexible insurance premium if your circumstances change. They also accrue cash value which is guaranteed to have a minimum interest rate based on the state you live in (Texas being the example cited at 1 percent).

Easy-to-Use Website

USAA's website is easy to navigate and includes customized life insurance quotes online. The quick insurance quote information helps potential clients understand the costs and benefits of a USAA life policy.

Contact information is also listed in the top, right hand corner of each page as well as additional prompts to search for a local agent as you browse.

USAA's customer service is also excellent. Its agents are helpful in answering questions and processing claims for USAA members and potential customers.

Its online and automated payment options make it easy to stay current on payments as well.

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The Bad

  • Higher Premiums
  • Limited Availability

Higher Premiums

Age, medical conditions, and occupation affect your life insurance rate. Because USAA insures people in a high risk population, it affects the cost of its insurance premium. On average, USAA life insurance rates are 15-20 percent higher than other companies. Keep in mind that premiums for permanent life insurance policies also tend to be significantly higher than those for term policies.

While people may pay more for a USAA life insurance policy, it's important to note that it's difficult to find private life insurance for military members. When you consider the value USAA adds to its policies, like including a severe injury benefit, the quality of its products and services is high.

Limited Availability

USAA has a specific customer base. To qualify for USAA membership, become a life insurance policyholder, and purchase any of its other products, you must active-duty military, retired or honorably discharged military, or be related to a military service member. If you are not in the military or have no direct family connection with the military, USAA life insurance may not be an option for you.

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The Bottom Line

USAA is unique among life insurance carriers because of its emphasis on serving military members. It has a high financial strength rating and has become known as an excellent bank. Unlike many life insurance carriers, USAA is an insurance carrier for military personnel and has been for nearly a century.

USAA has a nice selection of life insurance policies with term life insurance and permanent life insurance options. Despite being a little more expensive, it is a great option for those with military-specific needs. If you are not connected with the military, you may not be eligible for USAA's life insurance products.

USAA customer satisfaction is also high, which further makes USAA life insurance worth considering.

USAA offers more flexibility and has insurance options tailored to meet military service member needs, which makes a life insurance product from USAA a great choice for military families, service members, and veterans.

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Star Rating

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4.8

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49 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

84%

4 grade

12%

3 grade

2%

2 grade

0%

1 grade

2%

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Royce SSimmonds

Great Company - I have two policies but found recently that one was a Universal Life policy which I did not know...bad on me I guess

7 years ago

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Chris Milke Olney, MD

Have gotten life insurance quotes from USAA (since I'm a member). Once my current policy is up I plan on comparing USAA to my other options for term life products.

4 years ago

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Denna Collier Lehi, UT

I wish as a child of a veteran that I could use this insurance, but since my father never signed up. I'm denied enrollment

6 years ago

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Nicole Davis Hermiston, OR

Have been with USAA for 15 years never had a problem issue that wasn't resolved fairly.

7 years ago

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M Anderson Knox City, MO

Dependable - recent rate increases have me wondering about value

7 years ago

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Lesa Stewart Saint George, UT

We started with USAA in Texas. They have the best customer service for our family’s needs. Thanks

5 years ago