USAA is making a notable change to the way members can access its insurance services. After years of emphasizing digital and phone-based interactions, the company has brought in-person insurance support back to its San Antonio headquarters.
The service returned on August 5 under a broader strategy called “One USAA,” which brings banking and insurance assistance together at physical locations.
The move is significant because USAA had continued offering in-person banking at its headquarters while insurance services had been absent from its physical operation for about a decade.
For members, the change means some insurance needs can once again be handled face to face. Employees can help members discuss coverage, update policies, answer questions, and explore new insurance options.
But USAA is not announcing a return to the traditional nationwide branch model.
Instead, the company says it wants to place physical services strategically in areas where military members are concentrated and where there is demonstrated demand.
Why USAA Is Bringing Insurance Back
USAA’s leadership says member demand was a major reason behind the decision.
USAA Bank President Michael Moran said not every member wants to handle financial matters entirely through digital channels or by phone. Property and Casualty Insurance President Randy Termeer similarly pointed to demand for personal interaction.
That makes the move less about replacing digital service and more about adding another option.
USAA already allows members to manage banking and insurance through its mobile and online platforms. Its 2025 annual report describes the mobile app as a way for members to manage those needs from virtually anywhere.
The new approach adds a human layer when members want more direct assistance.
The Numbers Behind the “One USAA” Strategy
The strategy also fits USAA’s existing business model.
USAA reported 14.3 million members in 2025, with 96% of members staying with the organization. More importantly, 77% of member households had more than one USAA product.
Retention was even higher among those multi-product households, reaching 99%, according to the company’s 2025 annual report.
That gives the One USAA strategy a clear business rationale.
When a member uses USAA for both banking and insurance, the relationship extends beyond a single product. Bringing those services together physically could make it easier for members to interact with multiple parts of the organization.
USAA itself says it wants to grow the number of households using multiple products, including banking and insurance.
The numbers do not prove that physical locations will increase retention. But they show why USAA has an incentive to strengthen relationships across several financial products.
San Antonio Is the Starting Point
San Antonio is a natural location for the change.
USAA was founded in San Antonio in 1922 and remains headquartered there. The company describes its mission around serving active, separated and retired military members and their families.
The San Antonio headquarters therefore gives USAA a major location to test how members respond to combined banking and insurance support.
The company has also maintained a limited physical presence in other military-focused locations.
That means the new model is not necessarily a return to the large branch networks associated with traditional banks.
Instead, USAA appears to be moving toward a targeted physical footprint supported by digital service.
USAA Still Remains Heavily Digital
The return of insurance representatives should not be mistaken for a reversal of USAA’s digital strategy.
The company’s online and mobile platforms remain central to everyday account and policy management.
That is especially important for military families who may move between states or spend extended periods away from their home location.
Digital access can handle routine needs quickly, while a physical location can provide another option for more complicated questions or situations where members prefer speaking with someone directly.
The emerging model is therefore closer to digital-first with selective face-to-face support than a traditional branch transformation.
USAA Has the Financial Capacity to Invest in Member Experience
The physical-service expansion also comes as USAA reports stronger financial results.
USAA’s 2025 annual report shows $235.8 billion in total assets and $38.6 billion in net worth at the end of 2025. Its capital increased 20% during the year.
The company also reported returning $3.8 billion in financial rewards to members through distributions, dividends and bank rebates and rewards.
USAA said its property and casualty business aims to spend 93% to 97% of every dollar of earned premium on claims and serving members, with the remaining amount returned to members or invested in products, service and pricing.
Those figures provide important context for the company’s renewed focus on member experience.
Claims Service Is Another Part of the Member Relationship
Insurance customers often judge an insurer most closely when something goes wrong.
USAA says it responded to 62 catastrophes in 2025, paying nearly $5 billion in losses to members. The company also reported an average catastrophe-claim payment time of nine days.
That makes the company’s service strategy broader than simply opening a place where members can walk in.
For USAA, the relationship extends from buying coverage to managing policies and eventually handling a claim.
A physical location can therefore become another touchpoint in that longer insurance journey.
The Strategy Comes as USAA Focuses on the Military Community
USAA’s physical-service expansion is happening alongside a wider push around its military identity.
In July, the company unveiled the National Military Monument on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The installation honors more than 41 million Americans who have served since the Revolutionary War.
The monument opened July 28 during the nation’s 250th-anniversary commemorations.
On August 18, USAA announced that the installation would remain on the National Mall through November 12, 2026, extending its original run by 10 weeks.
According to USAA, visitors had already specifically searched nearly 5 million names from the more than 41 million represented at the monument.
The extension also keeps the tribute in Washington through Patriot Day and Veterans Day, giving more visitors an opportunity to engage with the installation.
A Broader Relationship With Military Families
The monument and the insurance-service expansion are separate initiatives, but they point toward the same broader question for USAA: how does the organization maintain a strong connection with the military community as member needs change?
USAA says its mission is to help members achieve financial security through products, service and advice.
That relationship can begin with a bank account or auto policy and eventually extend to homeowners insurance, life insurance, investments and other financial needs.
USAA’s multi-product data suggests that this broader relationship is already common.
The company’s challenge is making sure members continue to see value in that relationship as they become more comfortable using digital financial services.
Younger Members Could Become an Important Test
USAA also sees an opportunity to build relationships earlier in a member’s financial life.
Younger military members may initially need relatively simple products such as checking accounts or auto insurance.
Their needs can become more complicated as they buy homes, start families, build savings or seek additional insurance coverage.
A stronger relationship at an earlier stage could give USAA more opportunities to serve those changing needs.
Again, the company’s retention figures show why that matters: USAA reported 99% retention among members with more than one product in 2025.
What Changes for USAA Members?
For most members, everyday insurance management does not suddenly require a branch visit.
USAA continues to offer digital and telephone-based services, and members can manage many banking and insurance tasks online.
The important change is that some members will now have another option.
Those who prefer face-to-face assistance can use the expanding physical-service model in selected locations, while members who prefer digital tools can continue using them.
USAA’s executives have indicated that the One USAA model is expected to expand across its branch locations during 2026.
The company is also evaluating where additional physical services could make sense based on member concentration and demand.
What This Means for USAA’s Strategy
USAA’s decision to restore in-person insurance support is bigger than the reopening of an insurance desk.
It shows the company experimenting with a hybrid service model after years of digital expansion.
The timing is also notable.
USAA has 14.3 million members, 96% overall retention and a large share of households already using multiple products. At the same time, the company has reported stronger capital and record financial rewards to members.
That gives USAA room to invest in the member experience while keeping digital service at the center of its operation.
The real test will be whether members use the physical locations enough to justify further expansion.
For now, USAA’s message is clear: digital service is staying, but face-to-face insurance support is coming back where members want it.
The Bottom Line
USAA is not abandoning its digital-first model. It is adding physical insurance support back into the relationship after roughly a decade.
The One USAA strategy combines banking and insurance assistance, while the company’s membership data shows why deeper multi-product relationships matter.
With 77% of member households already using more than one USAA product and retention reaching 99% among those households, the company has a strong incentive to make its services feel more connected.
The San Antonio launch is therefore more than a local service change. It could become an early test of how USAA wants to serve its military-affiliated members in a financial-services market that has become increasingly digital.
FAQs
Why is USAA bringing back in-person insurance services?
USAA says member demand is a major reason for restoring face-to-face insurance support. The company wants members to have the option of speaking directly with employees for insurance questions, policy updates and other needs.
What is USAA’s One USAA strategy?
One USAA is designed to bring banking and insurance services together so members can interact with the organization as one financial-services provider rather than as separate businesses.
Does USAA have physical locations?
Yes. USAA maintains a limited physical presence at selected locations, particularly around major military communities and facilities. The company is expanding the services available at those locations during 2026.
Can USAA members still manage insurance online?
Yes. Digital and mobile services remain an important part of USAA’s member experience. The return of in-person insurance support adds another service option rather than replacing online access.
How many members does USAA have?
USAA reported 14.3 million members in 2025. The company also reported that 96% of members stayed with USAA during the year.
How many USAA members have multiple products?
USAA reported that 77% of member households had more than one USAA product in 2025. Retention among members with multiple products was 99%.
Is USAA returning to a nationwide branch model?
Not based on the current announcement. USAA has described a strategic approach focused on locations where military members are concentrated and where there is demand for physical services.
What is The National Military Monument?
The National Military Monument is a USAA-backed installation at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring more than 41 million Americans who have served since the Revolutionary War.
How long will the National Military Monument remain in Washington?
USAA announced on August 18, 2026, that the monument will remain at the Lincoln Memorial through November 12, 2026.
How much did USAA return to members in 2025?
USAA reported $3.8 billion in financial rewards to members in 2025 through distributions, dividends and bank rebates and rewards.
