USAA Insurance — Company Profile
What it is: a member-owned insurer and bank that serves the military community — and only the military community. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) was founded in 1922 in San Antonio, Texas, by a group of 25 U.S. Army officers who set out to insure one another’s cars after commercial insurers treated military officers as high-risk. It is a reciprocal inter-insurance exchange: policyholders (subscribers) insure one another and collectively own the exchange. USAA reports 14.3 million members.
Verdict: Legit Our rating: Not yet rated — the evidence check is published (see the legit check); numeric scoring with visible inputs is in progress, and we do not publish a number without them.
USAA is a real, licensed, top-rated insurer — A++ from AM Best and the highest score recorded in J.D. Power’s 2025 auto claims study (741/1,000 — a score, not a ranking — USAA is not rank-eligible in J.D. Power studies because of the membership restriction; the legit check explains). The defining catch is eligibility: if you are not a service member, a veteran, or an eligible family member of one, you cannot buy its insurance at any price. For those who qualify, buying is direct only — online, phone, and app — with no agents. Full verdict evidence: Is USAA legit?
The evidence
- Identity & scale: founded 1922 in San Antonio, Texas, by 25 U.S. Army officers; a reciprocal inter-insurance exchange owned by its members; 14.3 million members (2026); direct sales only (online, phone, app) — no captive or independent agents.
- Membership eligibility: insurance is available only to USAA members. Membership is open to those serving or who have honorably served in the U.S. military — active duty, National Guard and Reserves, veterans with an honorable (or general under honorable conditions) discharge, cadets and midshipmen — and to eligible family members: spouses, widows and widowers, and children (including stepchildren) of members. Children are eligible only if the parent established membership.
- Market position: fifth-largest U.S. private-passenger auto insurer — $22.1B in direct premiums written and 6.2% market share in NAIC’s 2024 data (via the Insurance Information Institute). Some rankings exclude USAA from numbered lists because of the membership restriction.
- Complaint pattern: NAIC complaint index for auto insurance of 1.178 — above the 1.00 benchmark, meaning more complaints than expected for a company of its size (compiled by CarInsurance.com, August 2026). Indices for USAA vary widely between compilations, so we cite this one consistently; the legit check shows it alongside USAA’s claims-study score.
- Financial strength: AM Best affirmed an A++ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating — its highest grade — with a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aaa”, in June 2026. Ratings can change — check AM Best for the current rating before relying on it.
- Pricing: prices are individualised and quoted directly to members; there is no agent channel and no way to buy around the membership restriction. Which USAA company issues a policy depends on membership category — for example, USAA Casualty Insurance Company serves many associate members, including adult children of members.
Where to check next
There are no live quote offers for USAA on this site yet, so the honest next step is comparison, not a checkout button:
| Alternative | Best for | See |
|---|---|---|
| All major insurers, side by side | Comparing sales models and fit | Best auto insurance comparison |
| Your own overpay estimate | Deciding whether to switch at all | Take the 60-second quiz |
| Arizona drivers | State minimums and Arizona averages | Cheap car insurance in Arizona |
Reader reviews
No verified reviews yet. This profile is new, and we will not dress it up with placeholder praise. When reviews arrive, each one is moderated by a human, labelled verified only when we can verify the reviewer, and published whether it is positive or negative.
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USAA questions
Who can buy USAA insurance?
Only USAA members. Membership is open to those serving or who have honorably served in the U.S. military — active duty, National Guard and Reserves, veterans with an honorable (or general under honorable conditions) discharge, cadets and midshipmen — and to eligible family members: spouses, widows and widowers, and children (including stepchildren) of members. Children are eligible only if the parent established membership. Everyone else cannot buy USAA insurance at any price, though a few non-insurance products, such as deposit banking, are open to non-members.
How do I buy USAA insurance?
Directly, once you are a member: online, by phone, or in the app. USAA does not use captive or independent agents, and its direct model is one reason its expense ratio runs low (noted by AM Best in its 2026 rating release).
Why does this profile say “Not yet rated”?
We publish a numeric score only with the inputs behind it visible on the page. This company’s evidence check (on our Is It Legit page) is complete; its full numeric scoring is in progress, so the honest label is “Not yet rated” rather than an invented number.
Is this your business?
USAA representatives can claim this profile to respond to reviews and correct factual errors. Claiming is free; it never changes a verdict, a score, or a review. How claiming works
Sources (checked October 2026): USAA founding, headquarters, and membership boilerplate (USAA company materials); reciprocal-exchange structure (Wikipedia, “Legal structure”; Insurance Business profile); founding by 25 Army officers (GB Times; Insurance Business). Membership count (14.3 million) and A++ (Superior) affirmation (AM Best press release, Jun 25, 2026). NAIC 2024 market share via Insurance Information Institute. NAIC complaint index 1.178 compiled by CarInsurance.com (Aug 2026).