USAA vs. Auto Owners Insurance

Which insurance provider is right for you? Compare savings, pros & cons, and quotes from USAA and Auto Owners.

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USAA vs. Auto Owners: What You Need to Know

USAA is an organization founded by military members for military members and their families. USAA was founded in the 1920s, during a time of social and political change. In San Antonio, Texas, 25 army officers met to insure each other’s vehicles and named William Garrison as the first president. This tiny group of men would later turn into one of the largest insurance companies, serving millions of members and becoming a fully integrated financial services organization. In 1923, the group expanded membership to include Navy and Marine Corp officers. In the 1930, membership grew despite the financial crisis, called the Great Depression, and several natural disasters that only exasperated an already desperate situation. By 1931 membership doubled from 15,000 to 30,000. The first annual report to members was published in 1932, and it highlighted financial success and commitment to the organization’s members. During World War II, USAA automatically renewed auto insurance policies, making things a little easier for those who were deployed abroad. In 1946, the organization became an industry leader in technology with its new automated office machines. In 1948, membership was opened to Air Force officers after the National Security Act of 1947 created the department. In 1952, USAA opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany, the first office outside of Texas. In 1961, USAA changed its bylaws so that officers no longer lose their membership after resigning from service. In 1962, they opened an office in London, England. In 1969, USAA formed their first disaster response team which is stationed in the Gulf Coast tending to members impacted by Hurricane Camille.In 1973 USAA opened offices in Tampa, Colorado Springs and San Diego and established their headquarters in San Antonio. In 1978, they began offering toll-free phone service to members. In 1983, the USAA Federal Savings Bank opened its doors and in the same year USAA Volunteer Corps was created to help with employee volunteerism in their communities. In 1990, the USAA Educational Foundation was set up to help consumers get free information on financial management, safety concerns and more. In 1991, USAA began offering roadside assistance and travel benefits. In 1991, they made electronic funds transfers available to members and in 1996 they formed the USAA Ethics Office as a commitment to ethical business conduct. In 1996, they began accepting enlisted as members. By 1999, members could conduct business online. In 2001 USAA provided special deployment assistance for the fight on terrorism. In 2006, they began offering ATM reimbursement and allowing members to deposit checks from home. In 2008, USAA expands eligibility requirements to include military retirees as well as the spouses and children of members. In 2009, all men and women who serve in the U.S. military and their families became eligible for membership. That same year, USAA became a sponsor of the Army-Navy Football Game and launched their mobile app. In 2010, USAA opened financial centers throughout the country while partnering with hundreds of UPS stores to service members. In 2011, USAA became the official Military Appreciation Sponsor of the National Football League. In 2016, they were the first bank to offer mobile app check deposit for visually impaired members. By 2017, USAA had 12 million members and a net worth of $31 billion.

Vern V. Moulton and four of his associates founded Auto-Owners Insurance Company in a single room in the Commercial Block Building in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The company moved to Lansing, Michigan where it still is today. In its first year, Auto-Owners Insurance had only one book of policyholders and $174.25 in total assets. In 1935, Auto-Owners extended beyond Michigan and began writing policies in Indiana. In 1951, the company opens the doors to its new four-story home in downtown Lansing and 400 associates moved in. In 1966 the company established Auto-Owners Life Insurance Company. In 1976, the company moved into its current home in Lansing. Auto-Owners Insurance celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 2017, Auto-Owners begins its affiliation with Concord General Mutual Insurance group. Today, Auto-Owners Insurance writes policies in 26 states and has more than 4,700 employees. The company has been a member of the Fortune 500 since 2002. In 2018, Auto-Owners Insurance was listed at number 375.

Below is a list of average rates, rankings, products and discounts for the two companies. For full company overviews, you can visit USAA Overview and Auto-Owners Insurance Co Overview.

USAA vs. Auto-Owners Insurance Co: How much are the Average Rates?

Below is a list of the average rates that drivers typically pay with USAA and Auto-Owners Insurance Co. On average, USAA charges approximately $121.96 per month while Auto-Owners Insurance Co comes in at around $129.72 per month. For USAA, the cheapest state average is Washington at $94.59 per month and the most expensive is Pennsylvania at $170.56 per month. For Auto-Owners Insurance Co, the cheapest state average is Georgia at $112.08 per month and the most expensive is Michigan at $131.46 per month.

USAA

Average Rate

$121.96
Auto-Owners Insurance Co

Average Rate

$129.72
National

Average Rate

$133.56
State USAA Auto-Owners Insurance Co
Arizona $118.39 -
California $136.50 -
Connecticut $144.53 -
Georgia $124.37 $112.08
Michigan $100.48 $131.46
Nevada $162.26 -
New York $142.01 -
Pennsylvania $170.56 $125.21
Tennessee $95.86 $125.52
Texas $141.68 -
Washington $94.59 -

USAA vs. Auto-Owners Insurance Co: Rates by Number of Vehicle

Home

Drivers will typically get a discount if they insure multiple vehicles. Here is a list of average rates that USAA and Auto-Owners Insurance Co typically charge for drivers who have more than 1 vehicle.

Number of Vehicles USAA Auto-Owners Insurance Co
1 Vehicle $114.95 $125.30
2 Vehicles $186.01 $175.73

USAA vs. Auto-Owners Insurance Co: Rates by Homeownership

Home

Drivers who own their home rather than rent can sometimes get a small discount. We found that on average USAA charges $122.81 per month and Auto-Owners Insurance Co charges $134.90 per month for customers who own their home.

Own/Rent USAA Auto-Owners Insurance Co
Own $122.81 $134.90
Rent $121.78 $128.05

What is USAA and Auto Owners Insurance Rating?

Which car insurance company is better? We've made it easy to compare companies side by side. See how USAA and Auto Owners ranked among the industry ratings.

Comparison USAA Auto Owners
Year Founded 1922 1916
Market Share 2.4%
A.M. Best A++ A++
BBB Rating B- A+
Financial Strength Excellent Excellent
JD Power Ranking Among the best Better Than Most
NAIC Complaint Index 1.01 0.77
S&P Rating AA+ AA

USAA or Auto Owners: Insurance Products Offered

What coverage is available through USAA and Auto Owners? Both insurance companies offer Auto, Commercial, Condo, Farm, Health, Home, Life, Motorcycle, Pet, Renters, RV, and Umbrella Insurance. Considering these two top insurance providers? Check out the list below. To view a full list of products that are available, visit USAA and Auto-Owners Insurance Co Insurance page.

Insurance USAA Auto Owners
Commercial Insurance
Condo Insurance
Farm Insurance
Health Insurance
Home Insurance
Life Insurance
Motorcycle Insurance
Pet Insurance
Renters Insurance
RV Insurance
Umbrella Insurance

USAA or Auto Owners: Ways To Save

USAA offers a wide range of discounts to its policyholders, including Automatic Payments, Defensive Driving Course, and Discount for Driving Research (telematics) discounts. Start taking advantage of discounts offered by insurance providers like Auto Owners and USAA insurance and save yourself some money. You can review the full list of discounts that these two companies offer below.

USAA Auto Owners
Annual Mileage Advance Quote
Automatic Payments Discount Favorable Loss History
Defensive Driving Course Discount Good Student Discount
Discount for Driving Research (telematics) Green Discount
Driver Training Course Discount Life Multi-Policy Discount
Family Discount Multi-Car Discount
Good Student Discount Multi-Policy Discount
Military Installation Paid-in-full Discount
Multi-policy Discount Payment History Discount
New Vehicle Discount Safety Features Discount
Premier Driver Discount Student Away at School Discount
Teen Driver Monitoring Discount

Pros & Cons of USAA & Auto Owners

Pros

USAA
  • USAA offers financial literacy classes to its members as well as retirement planning.
  • The USAA app is easy to use and very helpful for managing your account.
Auto Owners
  • Several options for discounts for teen drivers.
  • Common loss deductible and multi-policy discounts allow clients to save money if they insure home and auto with Auto-Owners Insurance.

Cons

USAA
  • USAA mainly offers coverage to military members and their families.
Auto Owners
  • Auto-Owners Insurance only serves 26 states.
  • No rideshare insurance.

USAA or Auto Owners Mobile Apps Options

The USAA Mobile app is available for iOS and android. It gives users convenient and secure access to their accounts to manage finances, investments, insurance and more.The Auto-Owners Insurance mobile app is available for iOS and android. This insurance concierge gives you access to your policy 24/7. You can pay your bills, set up and manage automatic payments and check on the status of a claim.

USAA Mobile App
iOS     4.8432K user reviews
Android     4.6125K user reviews
Auto Owners Mobile App
iOS     34 user reviews
     53 user reviews

USAA & Auto Owners Contact Info

USAA Contact Info
Address 9800 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, TX 78288
Phone 1-800-531-8722
Website https://www.usaa.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/USAA/
Twitter https://twitter.com/USAA
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/usaa/
Auto Owners Contact Info
Address 6101 Anacapri Blvd., Lansing, MI, 48917
Phone 1-517-323-1200
Website https://www.auto-owners.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AutoOwnersInsurance/
Twitter https://twitter.com/AutoOwnersIns
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/AutoOwnersInsurance
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/auto-owners-insurance/

Methodology
The statistics listed on this page are from our own in house reporting. We track and record quotes that carriers have provided based on various criteria. The rates and averages shown on this page should only be used as an estimate.

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