I've been a USAA member for 22+ yrs and really can't say I have any real problems with them. I have banking/investments, auto/home insurance, and a mortgage with them. The ""3-star"" rating is for the their low interest rates for checking (.1%), savings (.6%) and CD (less than 2%) which are among the lowest in the banking industry, and high auto premiums (in Texas) compared to many other States. USAA's bank rates are low even if you have enough to open a jumbo accounts. Many credit unions will beat these rates hands down. As far as auto insurance goes--yes they are pretty good for claims less than $1K. I've had my insurance with them for 22+ yrs no accidents/tickets (just hit by a stray golf ball--$800 damage minus $250 deductible) but their Texas premiums are more expensive than even Washington, DC or surrounding areas. I was shocked to see that Geico's Texas premiums beat USAA (at least for me--3 cars) by almost $200 for a six-month policy (identical limits of liability as USAA). I'm probably going to switch over next year when I move. As far as the Mortgage service goes--I guess I've been lucky up to this point. Moved from Bank of America to USAA (mortgage partner) when BOA wouldn't even talk to be about refinancing my fixed-rate 7.5% loan 7+ yrs ago. USAA stepped up and helped me. I really haven't had any issues with them. If USAA's partner gives me a problem, the balance is low enough for me to write a check to pay it off and be done with it. Unfortunately, many people do not have this opportunity. I had one experience with USAA's home/renters insurance when I had hail damage several years ago. It took a little while but USAA came through--I think it was quicker because I had a large deductible that saved them 50% of total cost of replacing my roof. I'm sure others probably had a negative experience. One thing is for sure, many things have changed since I joined--membership and access to services has been opened up to a wider audience. I think they have become so big that they are slowly losing some of their customer service edge in many of their departments. It's slowly becoming evident that having everything with them or being a longtime customer doesn't make a difference anymore.
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