Credit Cards

[concorduser]

What can we do with limited USAA membership? I opened savings/checking account. I understand we can not open credit accounts. I could not open a CD account. What else can we get from USAA? Can we obtain insurance or any other products? I undestand about credit products not being available, it kind of makes me feel silly why bother being a member with them if I can not even open a CD for my kids with the bank.

[imducky]

checking/savings and non-rewards master card are the only products i've heard of. i think it's a phone call to app the mc.

[haulingthescoreup]

I vaguely remember seeing a post about this new membership category, but I can't find it, and there's nothing on the USAA site about limited membership.

If you have the thread handy, can you post it here?

And fwiw, I have always gotten great service from their CSR's. I would think that calling them and asking what you are and are not eligible for would be the best move.

[imducky]

the info i'm getting is from a site not to be named here. all there have had to call and set up the limited membership and it's been said the the guidlines for approval are more strickt for the non-military membership category as well.

a cool feature that usaa offers apparently is that any mastercard can be used as od protection for thier checking accounts.

[haulingthescoreup]

This is driving me crazy. I know I read about this somewhere...

[MojaveMoon]

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imducky wrote:

a cool feature that usaa offers apparently is that any mastercard can be used as od protection for thier checking accounts.

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That's correct. I have my o.d. protection linked to my Sears MC. I can't stand that credit card, but unfortunately it's my highest credit limit.

And then USAA lets you set up a *second* o.d. protection. I *think* the second one can only be linked to a savings account. I haven't ever set up the second o.d. protection, so I don't know any specific details.

[MojaveMoon]

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specultr wrote:

I don't see any value in membership for me.

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My enthusiasm for the checking account is mixed. For those on ChexSystems, maybe then there might be some value in the checking account since it's been reported that USAA only checks Telecheck and Early Warning Systems.

I've been told that you can't use the Deposit@Home scanning service to scan anything other than checks. So I'm always having to drive to the post office and mail money orders to deposit money into my checking account. Plus I don't think the Deposit@Home service is available to those of you who are non-military affiliated.

The only two things I like now about the checking account are the ability to use any bank's ATM (up to $ 15 in ATM fees are refunded) and the ability to link overdraft protection to any Mastercard.

Message Edited by MojaveMoon on 02-23-2009 07:07 PM

[usmc58555]

USAA has changed their membership levels and eligibility several times over the last few years.

At one point you could piggy back a banking relationship into a full blown insurance and everything account.

That has since changed.

Granted at one point it was Military Officers only, now it is all honorably discharged veterans. When I became a member it was all Active military up to one calendar year from discharge who were eligible.

They have stated they are trying to refocus on their core original service line.

I would call their customer service and see what they say.

[score_building]

i posted about this in general a few days ago, not sure if you saw it there or somewhere else HTSU.  i was led to believe that savings checking AND cds were a go for non military.  Sorry if that is not the case concorduser.

i decided for now i want my banking relationship separate from any credit cards, so it works for me, and having said that, of course i'd jump at the opportunity if usaa opened up full membership to non military again.

it is a better than avg checking and savings (but i may change my mind if i confirm that there are no debit rewards for non military when i cal tmrw) i think but the affiliation doesn't really differentiate enough without further offerings for some i suppose.  it's a good deal for them, to take on more deposits.