Bank accounts

Hi, who did you call? I have called USAA twice and they will not allow me to set up a checking account yet (I don't turn 18 until the end of June). I have heard others have been able to set up their account, but I've had no success
First, my family already has a USAA relationship, if you will. We have credit cards, our home & auto insurance through them. Our DS is on our auto insurance policy - in addition he already had a minors savings account and investments through USAA so that might have made it slightly easier, but they should still be able to set one up for your without too much trouble. We called the 800-531-8722 number. Because you are a minor, you need to have at least one of your parents on speaker phone with you. When prompted ask for 'New Checking' and when you get the representative ask immediately for someone with experience in setting up account for Service Academy cadets as you all are coded differently in the system. Once we were put in communication with someone who knew the nuances of Service Academy cadets vs. regular enlisting the process went very smoothly. You will need your letter of appointment, your drivers license and your travel orders (my son uploaded the form RRS-86, which state Department of the Air Force, Special Order and gives instructions about how to make travel arrangements to USAFA. My son was set up with a 'New Recruit' (again as a Service Academy Cadet) which allowed him to open the account without any funds, though putting in a minimum of $25 might be best. Once the representative set up the account and had his email, she recommended he download the USAA app on his phone and sent him links that he then used to upload the previously mentioned required documents right from his new USAA app. It took about 3 days for all his documents to be reviewed and verified. That is when my DS moved money from his USAA savings to the new USAA checking account. Once he verified that the money transferred without issue, he sent his checking account routing info to USAFA. Within a week after the account was verifed, USAA mailed him all his 'Welcome Cadet USAFA' letter and card. About a week after that, he received another letter from USAA with a Tax Certificate (W-9) form that one of his parents had to sign specifically because DS is still a minor.

Please keep trying to work with USAA because they really are an awesome company who has your best interest as a military member as top priority. Remember to keep asking for someone with experience working with Service Academy accounts as they are different. Be the respectful future cadet you are, but don't be afraid to ask for the conversation to be escalated to a supervisor who will direct you to the right people whom you need to speak with. This is another benefit of having your parents there with you. Please keep me updated.
 
First, my family already has a USAA relationship, if you will. We have credit cards, our home & auto insurance through them. Our DS is on our auto insurance policy - in addition he already had a minors savings account and investments through USAA so that might have made it slightly easier, but they should still be able to set one up for your without too much trouble. We called the 800-531-8722 number. Because you are a minor, you need to have at least one of your parents on speaker phone with you. When prompted ask for 'New Checking' and when you get the representative ask immediately for someone with experience in setting up account for Service Academy cadets as you all are coded differently in the system. Once we were put in communication with someone who knew the nuances of Service Academy cadets vs. regular enlisting the process went very smoothly. You will need your letter of appointment, your drivers license and your travel orders (my son uploaded the form RRS-86, which state Department of the Air Force, Special Order and gives instructions about how to make travel arrangements to USAFA. My son was set up with a 'New Recruit' (again as a Service Academy Cadet) which allowed him to open the account without any funds, though putting in a minimum of $25 might be best. Once the representative set up the account and had his email, she recommended he download the USAA app on his phone and sent him links that he then used to upload the previously mentioned required documents right from his new USAA app. It took about 3 days for all his documents to be reviewed and verified. That is when my DS moved money from his USAA savings to the new USAA checking account. Once he verified that the money transferred without issue, he sent his checking account routing info to USAFA. Within a week after the account was verifed, USAA mailed him all his 'Welcome Cadet USAFA' letter and card. About a week after that, he received another letter from USAA with a Tax Certificate (W-9) form that one of his parents had to sign specifically because DS is still a minor.

Please keep trying to work with USAA because they really are an awesome company who has your best interest as a military member as top priority. Remember to keep asking for someone with experience working with Service Academy accounts as they are different. Be the respectful future cadet you are, but don't be afraid to ask for the conversation to be escalated to a supervisor who will direct you to the right people whom you need to speak with. This is another benefit of having your parents there with you. Please keep me updated.

I should've replied that I called USAA again, got an experienced lady and she was able to help! My account is all set up- they just simply need to verify my appointment (I already uploaded the doc) Thank you!
 
I should've replied that I called USAA again, got an experienced lady and she was able to help! My account is all set up- they just simply need to verify my appointment (I already uploaded the doc) Thank you!

Hooray! I am so happy you were finally able to get to the right person and get your account set up. One less thing to have to do later.
 
Well, my DS finally gave up with USAA today. He has received a complete runaround for over three weeks. He has called and talked to someone at least three times a week, sometimes four, and gotten nowhere. He has even had two people tell him he is "good to go" only to receive a rejection letter two days later. As a last ditch effort, I called today (the first time in this entire academy process I've stuck my nose in) and was told everything looks good, only for my DS to get a call stating they need DD214 or something similar.
My DS is just going to use our local bank for now. I told him he can always use USAA later after he gets settled, his response was, "Dad, I don't think they want my business". I certainly couldn't argue with him.
 
I don't think that's the reason. The bank is only for military members. They have a process, albeit messed up, for individuals who are FUTURE military members. Aka appointees. But it's obviously not very efficient. But once a cadet, the process is literally a few minutes to set up. And the benefits are worth while.

Don't judge USAA on something that while technically is suppose to be possible, isn't what they are normally supporting or set up for.

99.9% sign up with the bank at the academy to get their pay started, per the appointee package. Then they sign with USAA after getting there. Sorry for the inconvenience, but USAA serves military personnel and they do a fantastic job. Once your son is a military member, it's not an issue.
 
I don't think that's the reason. The bank is only for military members. They have a process, albeit messed up, for individuals who are FUTURE military members. Aka appointees. But it's obviously not very efficient. But once a cadet, the process is literally a few minutes to set up. And the benefits are worth while.

Don't judge USAA on something that while technically is suppose to be possible, isn't what they are normally supporting or set up for.

99.9% sign up with the bank at the academy to get their pay started, per the appointee package. Then they sign with USAA after getting there. Sorry for the inconvenience, but USAA serves military personnel and they do a fantastic job. Once your son is a military member, it's not an issue.

CC, this information is not correct. All USAA eligible people are authorized any USAA product. Many of the old limitations and eligibility requirements have been changed in the last two years. The bank population is quite diverse and includes a large percentage of non-military/veteran members.

If you are a current or former military member (veterans must be honorably discharged) OR a direct descendent (RE: child) of a USAA member OR a spouse of a USAA member (and a couple others) then you are eligible. The policy is that SA appointees are eligible but the internal guidance is fuzzy. The member service reps (MSRs) that are interacting with these appointees are not following policy (which greatly disappoints me). It is a failure on the part of USAA. USAA is a great company to be an employee and/or member of so I encourage you to give USAA a shot in the future for those with struggles - I'd hate for the actions of an inexperienced MSR to keep you from the normally fantastic experience of banking and insuring with USAA. I appreciate the feedback from y'all so I can try to fix this issue internally.

https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/why_choose_usaa_main?adID=VURL_eligibility
Who We Serve
Active Military
Individuals who are currently serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines or Navy.

Former Military
Those who have retired or separated from the U.S. military with a discharge type of Honorable.

Family
Widows, widowers and un-remarried former spouses of USAA members who joined USAA prior to or during the marriage and individuals whose parents joined USAA.

Cadets and Midshipmen
Cadets and midshipmen at U.S. service academies, in advanced ROTC or on ROTC scholarship, plus officer candidates within 24 months of commissioning.
 
Sorry if this isn't the right place, but I have two questions. First, my account was recently set up and everything was good to go, but then out of nowhere I was locked out of my account and it was apparently forwarded to the fraud department, currently under review. Anybody ever had experience with this? Second, I listed my P.O box at the academy as my mailing address, but obviously I'm not there yet. Will they be mailing my welcome kit/debit card there or do they understand that I'm not there yet and then mail it to my physical address? Thanks.
 
Sorry if this isn't the right place, but I have two questions. First, my account was recently set up and everything was good to go, but then out of nowhere I was locked out of my account and it was apparently forwarded to the fraud department, currently under review. Anybody ever had experience with this? Second, I listed my P.O box at the academy as my mailing address, but obviously I'm not there yet. Will they be mailing my welcome kit/debit card there or do they understand that I'm not there yet and then mail it to my physical address? Thanks.

You need to call USAA for both. You should not change your mailing to the PO Box until right before you leave to in process or you will not get your mail from USAA. It's possible the PO box triggered the fraud alert. Again, call and a MSR will help fix the issues for you.
 
Hornet. Not disagreeing at all. I said pretty much the same thing. An appointee should not have any problem, but that part of the process isn't the best. As evidenced by the poster. But once a military member; either active, retired, separated, family member, etc. signing up is a breeze.
 
Just a suggestion to those future cadets trying to set up an account. This suggestion is based on no fact or evidence whatsoever, just a hunch. Why not call the branch at the academy you will be attending, instead of the 800 number? (If that's what your doing). Presumably those folks would be more familiar with the process but who know? Just a thought.
 
I’ll clarify that we have no branches other than the single branch at our HQ in San Antonio (regulatory semantics of what ‘branch’ means [no tellers at our financial centers]). Thankfully, the closing of 17/21 financial centers across the country will exclude the Academy FCs and San Antonio. The COS FC number is: 719-244-9041. Give them a call.

Great advice kinnem!
 
I'm sorry if this question has already been answered and I did not see it, but if you have a USAA checking account, will they also provide you with a debit card?
 
Yes - DS received his debit card in the mail within a week of setting up his USAA checking account.
 
http://www.wisebread.com/military-c...&loc=9004277&gclid=CJKqqNSFxdMCFclLDQodl9sFbA

Most cadets probably won't qualify for a CC on their own, but something to look into, though I know the idea of using and establishing credit can be controversial.
Amex waives annual fees for active duty military.

I know there can be pitfalls, but like the idea of using a CC to help establish credit for young adults.

My #1 worked over the summers during high school and was able to get a card on his own when he went to (non-SA) college a couple of years ago to help establish credit. Our "strong guidance" was to buy something small once every 3-4 months and pay it off immediately after the statement closed. It has worked out well so far... ;)

I was thinking of seeing if we could do something similar for my #2 DS this fall (after he has a few USAFA paychecks under his belt).
 
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A suggestion to consider is to be informed of the bank charges imposed on the account. My DD had to sign up for the Armed Forces Bank. While it does have a location right beside the dorm, they do charge a fee if a direct deposit is not made each month. This should usually be fine except when military pay makes a mistake. They overpaid her one month and then took it back over the next few. No direct deposit meant service charges. She ended up changing it to a student account to avoid the fee. She already had a local account and just switched her direct deposit to it once it started again. Main thing is to be comfortable with your bank's accessibility and understand its fees and benefits.
 
We are getting the run around by USAA as well for our DS. Our family is already USAA members and they refuse to accept his orders despite requesting them as proof of enrollment at the academy. Don't know what to do. We emailed them but they refuse to answer ANY QUESTIONS. I am severly disappointed with their customer service. We have been with them for many years.
 
We are getting the run around by USAA as well for our DS. Our family is already USAA members and they refuse to accept his orders despite requesting them as proof of enrollment at the academy. Don't know what to do. We emailed them but they refuse to answer ANY QUESTIONS. I am severly disappointed with their customer service. We have been with them for many years.
Have you tried directly calling the USAA branch office located by the Academy? If not, I would call them, explain your situation & ask if they could help you. I believe their direct number is 719-244-9041.
 
Thanks. But that number transferred me to USAA corporate. I have now been on the phone with 3 different reps and they are still unable to figure out what they need to validate him. He has no DD214, wage statement, or separation documents. What a hassle.
 
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