I'm very, very satisfied with USAA. Their customer service is top-notch.

I only use their credit card service at this point and am working on paying it off (I consolidated all of my CC debt to my USAA card), but if it weren't for my credit union, I'd be banking with USAA in a heartbeat.

Big negative: They don't list their savings/checking rates on their website. Or they're so very difficult to find that a half hour's worth of searching (I'm a web developer no less) will prove fruitless.

Ben, are you military/reserve/veteran/married?

@TCama: That's a fairly specific alternative to a/s/l.

I wonder if it is open for Non Residents.

LOVE USAA. They are beyond fantastic.
My only complaint ever is the mandatory binding arbitration that they just introduced.

Their service is excellent, the people fall all over themselves to help you - even the roadside assistance is amazing. I love being able to deposit my checks using a scanner, which makes the whole 'online banking' thing sooo much easier. Wish they'd introduce a BlackBerry Deposit@Home app though!

@TCama: Dad was in the AF.

PenFed is really good too, and if you join the NMFA ($25 one time fee) you can access all of their services. Their loans and savings/checking accounts have really really good interest rates, and their customer service is stellar.

This is news to me; specifically because of the newish check scan deposit ability, I decided it would be worth the pain to change banks. So, I recently went to apply with them and was told I didn't qualify on thier web site, and I'm a 5 point USMC veteran (Desert Storm).

I guess I should have opened up an account when I was in just to have.

C-

@FoxCMK: found it in 15 seconds. first google result for "usaa checking rates": checking: Variable 0.10% APY, savings: Variable APY ranging from 0.76% to 2.39%.
checkit!

@MostlyHarmless: Non-residents of what? The US? Hmmm...interesting question.

If they opened up the check scanning depositing thingie for everyone I would switch to them right away.

I would LOVE that.

@pecan 3.14159265: Non residents?
Like how Bank of America will let anyone open an account, even without a SS number?

@pecan 3.14159265: Since we are talking about USAA, obviously.

And non-residents does not necessarily mean "people who do not live here". It also includes "people who've been here for over a decade, but the paperwork is not done yet".

@jsbeagle: Most banks do that. Because it is legally possible for someone to be in this country without having an SSN, as long as they have proper documentation to prove it. As a foreign student, you only get an SSN when you get a job. If someone decides to not work while studying, they can easily be without SSN for a while.

I opened my bank account the first day I was in US, and did not get an SSN till about a month later. Nothing wrong with that.

@Cruc:

I've run across a number of people lately that told me they were refused insurance coverage because more than a year had elapsed since their retirement. I'd assume this would apply to banking as well but I can't find any reference to a time limit on the website but it might be worth a call to see if there is some sort of waiver.

I had forgotten about USAA. I am a veteran. Just joined.

@danger the pirate: "Rates range" does me practically no good. I did find those on my search.

Contrast that to the rates table directly accessible on Navy Federal's homepage (Featured Rates on the right):
[navyfederal.org]
And I know exactly what I'm getting, since those rates are accurate to the day.

Should I not expect full disclosure like NFCU?

@FoxCMK: Forgot to mention I did find their higher-yield savings rates:

[www.usaa.com]

But still no go on Checking. In fact, the variable 0.10% APY is over a year old. I assume it just hasn't changed.

@Cruc: Before I separated, I made absolutely sure that I could open other accounts afterward if I kept my credit card account.

LOVVVVVVVE USAA.

There is nothing any other company/bank could offer to make me change.

@FoxCMK: if you just type "rates" in their search box, you'll get access to all their rates - savings, checking, IRAs, CDs, etc. yes, i believe the 0.10% is correct for the checking. this is the savings breakdown:

$0 - $999 --> 0.60%
$1,000 - $4,999 --> 0.70%
$5,000 - $9,999 --> 0.75%
$10,000 - $24,999 --> 0.80%
>$25,000 --> 0.85%

Variable APY effective 8/21/2009

@FoxCMK: the checking only accrues interest if you have more than 1000 dollars in the account. which would be fun on those random days i'd have my rent sitting in the account before my landlord cashed the check

@FoxCMK: I have Charles Schwab. Toll-free international number when my ATM card was eaten in Prague, kick-ass rates on checking and savings, ATM fees rebated every month and AMAZING customer service.

Don't need a "limited" USAA account. Thanks!

How would one go about depositing checks without the scan at home option?

Can non-military members open savings accounts? I'm contemplating starting a new fund, and am very happy to see that USAA doesn't charge monthly fees and has a .60% to .85% interest rate. I've seen that other banks only have .20% or .50%.

@pecan 3.14159265: Ah, wait. Reading comprehension fail. Sorry. I now see that Savings is under the list. Sigh. I'm distracted today.

@pecan 3.14159265: Have you looked at ingdirect.com? I've always found they have the best rates.

Got rear-ended by one of their insuree's a few years back. Pretty straight forward case, not a huge accident, but not a simple fender bender either. No question the other driver was at fault.

USAA gave me better service and less hassle than my own insurance company did. They didn't get stupid, didn't pull any stunts and I didn't have to get a lawyer. I would have switched insurance companies on the spot if I could have.

@MrFreshy: You mail them to their San Antonio location.

@sponica (now with MORE caffeine): My NFCU Checking requires a $1500 balance, but offers 0.50% APY - starting - and all of the other features, minus scanning checks. They do offer postage-paid envelopes for mailing in checks, but it's not quite the same. I should probably start funneling more cash out of checking and into savings, but having a fat checking account is kind of nice.

Anybody know if they allow for free data downloads into Quicken (and the now defunct MS Money)? BofA wants $10 a month for the privilege, which I just won't pay.

@FoxCMK: i see money in checking and i think i can spend it, so i make sure there's at least 100 bucks in the account as a cushion, but for the most part keep most of the funds in the savings.

After hearing my parents rave about their insurance rates, we called them for a quote. They couldn't beat what we were getting from Geico for our cars, and they wouldn't touch our homeowners insurance. Apparently, we are too close to ocean (about 10 miles inland from LI Sound).

For banking and my mortgage, I'm very satisfied with the personal service I get from my local bank (who doesn't sell off mortgages).

I AM tempted to get the credit cards... those look like a good deal.

I just spoke to a USAA customer service rep and she said that the Deposit@home is available to anyone who has two of the following accounts:

Checking or Savings Account
Personal Loan
Mortgage
Credit Card

So, if you call them and get a Checking account, and then get approved for one of their credit cards, you will have Deposit@home available to you.

@sponica (now with MORE caffeine): Far smarter since many (I'd assume all) banks allow free, instant transfers between accounts on one name - and savings accounts always offer a higher APY.

USAA's high-yield savings accounts are a perfect example. Very competitive, and the site's interface is easy to use.

USAA is by the best place to bank, have insurance, etc for military members. Civilians might not get the best for insurance and all VS us military members, we get extra discounts.

I have NEVER EVER heard one complaint from a military member about USAA.

I use USAA for checking, car insurance, and auto pay all my bills using it.

@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: Alliant Credit Union in Chicago has online check deposit. Scan the front, scan the back, done. Don't have to mail anything.

Anyone can join, if you don't qualify through your employer you have to join the national PTA for $25.

The fact that they have one of the highest rates for savings and checking accounts helps a lot.

I am sad USAA is opening up to non-military.... why the cash grab USAA? Customer service will drop as their numbers of accounts expands.... boo hoo. I'll monitor my service with them and see where it goes.

@Cruc:

Welcome to the club. I'm also a Desert Storm veteran (USMC)and was denied membership. I was looking for auto insurance at the time.

For the record, you can get GREAT service, plus high checking and savings rates and true online check deposit (scan the front, scan the back, done) from Alliant Credit Union. They call their online deposit product edepositplus, and it's activated 30 days after you join.

[www.alliantcreditunion.org]

This has been my primary account for years. They come highly recommended from the guys at fatwallet.

As with all credit unions they have limited membership- to join, you have to be a member of a PTA. If you don't have kids, you can join the National PTA for $25. This is tons easier than trying to get Deposit@Home eligibility from USAA.

@pecan 3.14159265: Alliant Credit Union. I can't plug them highly enough. Savings account rate is currently 2%, checking account rate is 1.75%. History of being extremely competitive. Plus you get online deposit (check scanning). See my comment below.

@MostlyHarmless: For that matter, it's not limited to the US. I spent a college term in Ireland, and I was able to open a bank account there. All they wanted was a letter from my program.

@whateverthisis: Remember, everyone got all nervous when non-officers were permitted to join (that's how long my family has been with them). Everyone was worried that the number of individuals that would qualify with enlisted + family would be too much for them to handle.

It's just the banking side. It's not the insurance.

USAA in indeed the shiz...I have CC's, insurance and auto loan with them. Their customer service is miraculous. Insurance rates might not be super-amazing but I'm willing to pay a couple extra bucks to get great customer service and support one of the good guys in the industry.

@MrFreshy: ...and they'll mail the toll-free envelopes to you...for free.

@Copper: they send you the deposit slips and pre-paid envelopes. fill it out drop it in the mail and it gets processed pretty quickly once they get it.

@FoxCMK: i'm limited to 4 online transfers a month from savings to checking per federal regulations, but unlimited transfers via the USAA debit card.

and i have the USAA accounts linked to my TD account (which exists as a OMG LOOK AT ALL THE HOLIDAY CASH account), which takes about a day or two at the most to move from TD to USAA via the interwebs.

@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: That's what I love about USAA too. Granted, I don't keep my money there for long, I send it to a higher-yield online bank account, but I have my credit cards through them, as well as my auto insurance (great deals there.)

@whateverthisis: Or it all may be fine. I have retirement money at TIAA-CREF, and was a little worried when that became available more broadly (a lot of people are now eligible for some of their services), but they're still taking good care of me.