My open letter to the Senate and Congressmembers on their respective VA Committees

Yesterday, I wrote the below letter (and signed) to my Senator, and distinguished members on the VA Committees. While the VA Committee does not have juridiction for these special programs, they may be able to influence "across the aisle" and inpart change if they are so inclined. As Wayne and the Board reelect themselves today, this seemed the right time to share my story with Senate/Congress on how USAA treated an indentified Veteran.

Dear Congress Members:

I am a US Veteran (US Navy from 1990-1996), and I write to you about your positions on the US Committee for Veterans Affairs. I am asking for your support in suspending or penalizing USAA Federal Savings Bank’s access to programs and benefits that attract service members and Veterans. They prey on nostalgia of a once great institution and then treat veterans and service members worse than commercial institutions.

My personal experience is that in May 2023, I decided to bank with USAA as I understood they had special programs and customer service towards veterans like myself. I was excited to bank with USAA, but it took 1 month for them to “identify” who I was. Finally, I deposited $16,600 into a savings/checking account and applied for a credit card. This money was half my life savings and I set up direct deposit for my VA Disability payments and severance from my job I was laid off from.

On May 31st, I gave technology and process feedback to a USAA employee on the 1 month long process of identification. One week after that, I was unexpectedly locked out of USAA’s systems, and away from my $16,600+.

My longer story is located here: https://www.dontbankwithusaa.com

USAA responded to my CFPB complaint that the employee abused her position of power to cancel me and used her tools as an act of retribution to lock me out of USAA’s banking, over the conversation on May 31st.

I am hoping my story proliferates into the military community so others don’t make the decision to become patrons of USAA based on practices they exhibit towards identified veterans like myself. Unfortunately, there are many other depressing stories of veterans and service members also experiencing a rapid decline of USAA’s “commitment” to our exclusive community.

I ask that honorable members of the VA Committee open inquiries into USAA’s practices towards service members and veterans, and if found to be exploitative, restrict or suspend special program access like VA Loans.

Sincerely yours

Comment! It's anonymous!

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The reality here is experiences like what were shared in this thread are attributed to the direct mismanagement of the bank. This leadership team is corrupt, seeks to put a cover over poor processes that lead to poor member experiences like the one described here. Cost cutting, layoffs, lack of investment, and an inability to solve regulatory issues all contribute to inappropriate and poor member experiences. Thank you OP for sharing your story. I hope that between congress, banking regulators, or the board of directors, someone asks some basic questions about what is going wrong within USAA.

They canceled/froze our accounts in Dec of 2021 while I’m station overseas! They never gave us a reason after being with them for over 20years! Worst part of it all was they said they sent a letter…a paper letter a month prior to notify us. This letter was never sent, never found never resent! To top it off we had to endure a Christmas and New Years with zero access to our funding. It took over 3 weeks to get our money back.

The excuse we got from USAA….it was a “‘Business Decision”. I make more money now in my life then I ever did when i was active duty for 16yrs! This was no business decision…they still wanted me to keep them for car and home insurance and credit card. I cancelled ever single thing with them the minute we got our funds back. My trust was betrayed and I was treated like trash from a company that pays….MILLIONS to ex-football players and who never served their country. I know know first hand how horrible that company has fallen from the original founders intent.

They must be make too much money off those commercials. Just wanted you to know your not alone nor will you be the last this “bank” turns its back on a Veteran!

I am OP. They laid me off as a member.

I think the way this relates to layoffs is that USAA is NO LONGER and will probably NEVER BE the institution that it once was. They treat those who support their business, both by being a member and by serving membership through employment, shabbily and in a deceitful manner.

I, as an ex-employee, attest to the fact that I was treated in such a way. After a rather long career in IT, I state without reservation that USAA is the most fraudulent employer I have EVER experienced. Somewhere along the way, they have lost their souls.

But back to what this vet is illustrating. This vet is exactly who USAA started out to protect and value; this company was once in very high regard (which is why I wanted to work here).

Now, USAA is rotten to the core, and so greedy that they make zero distinction between employee and members in ther horrible treatment of human beings. They have lost sight as to what once made them great.

Thank you, Sir or Madam, for having the courage to share your story.

It sounds like a horrible experience but I am not sure what this has to do with layoffs.

Wow, had no idea it was this bad. Been retired from USAA for several years and someone told me about this site. So sad that we’ve forgotten why the company was established.

Thread regarding USAA layoffs

My open letter to the Senate and Congressmembers on their respective VA Committees

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