USAA life insurance, reviewed.
If you serve, one question matters more than most: will the policy still pay if you die on deployment? USAA says its life coverage carries no war exclusion. USAA Life serves military families with term, whole, and universal coverage, and the bottom line is a member-owned insurer built for the people who serve, worth setting beside two or three others before you choose.
Reviewed by Aleen Alnono, licensed insurance agent (NPN 58310472) · Updated October 2026
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What it does well
Military-first coverage.
USAA’s edge is who it’s built for. It writes coverage the way military life actually works, deployment, moves, and all.
Built for military families
USAA was founded in 1922 by a group of Army officers and still serves the military community, members, veterans with an honorable discharge, and their eligible spouses and children.
No war or aviation exclusion
Most life policies carry a war clause that can void the payout for a combat death. USAA writes coverage that stays in force during deployment and war at no extra charge, a real difference for those who serve.
Sits well beside SGLI
Active-duty SGLI covers up to $500,000 for $26.00 a month with the TSGLI premium, per the VA. Private term, locked in while you are healthy, is what keeps going after the military coverage ends.
Term you can convert
USAA level term runs 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. You can usually convert it to permanent coverage later without a new medical exam, useful if your health changes.
A full product shelf
Beyond term, USAA offers whole life and universal life, plus annuities, so one membership can cover several jobs as your family grows.
Member-first, not Wall Street
USAA is a member-owned association. It answers to the families it serves, not to outside shareholders, which shapes how it prices and pays.
Comparing USAA with other life insurers? A licensed professional will look at your age, health and goals, then show how USAA stacks up against other carriers. Free, no obligation, and keeping what you have is a fine result.
The plans
Term, whole, and universal life.
USAA covers the three main jobs life insurance does. Term protects a defined window cheaply; whole and universal stay in force for life and build cash value, a savings bucket inside the policy you can borrow against (per USAA):
Level Term
10 to 30 years
Coverage from $100,000 up to $5 million for a fixed term, with a level premium. Usually convertible to permanent coverage later without a new medical exam.
Whole Life
Coverage for life
A locked premium, a death benefit that doesn’t expire, and steady cash-value growth, the set-it-and-forget-it option.
Universal Life
Flexible permanent
Permanent coverage with adjustable premiums and death benefit, plus cash value tied to current interest rates, more flexible, more moving parts.
Not sure which job you’re solving for? That’s the right question to start with. Our free policy review walks through your real need before anyone talks product, and our guide to cash-value coverage explains how whole and universal life build value over time.
For those who serve
Why military families lean on USAA.
Bottom line up front: USAA writes coverage that keeps paying when the job gets dangerous. The war exclusion most carriers use can void a payout for a combat death, USAA doesn’t apply it, and active-duty term stays in force during deployment at no extra charge. Here’s how that fits the bigger picture.
SGLI is a strong floor, but it is temporary
On active duty, Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) covers you up to $500,000 at 5 cents per $1,000 a month. It’s a great deal, and after you leave you get 120 days of free coverage, then a choice to make.
Private term fills the gap
Locking in USAA term while you’re young and healthy means coverage that follows you to civilian life, no war clause, no scramble to re-qualify after separation.
One relationship, many life stages
Deployment, a PCS move, a new baby, the transition out. USAA writes term, whole, and universal under one membership, so coverage can grow with the family.
The SGLI maximum, the rate, and how the benefit works are set by the VA, confirm the current figures at VA.gov. If you’re weighing the move from group to private coverage, our veteran benefits guides and the rundown on SGLI vs. VGLI lay out the timeline so nothing lapses in the gap.
Own a USAA policy already? A licensed professional will go through it with you, explain what it does today, and help with beneficiary changes or billing questions. If it is working, they will tell you to keep it.
Leaving service
The SGLI timeline, in dates.
These are the VA’s numbers, and they are the reason timing matters more than any carrier choice. Counting from the day you leave the military:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | You separate. SGLI free coverage starts a 120-day clock (up to 2 years for some qualifying disabilities). |
| Day 120 | The free SGLI coverage period ends. |
| Within 240 days | Apply for VGLI up to your SGLI amount with no health proof. |
| Within 1 year and 120 days | The last day to apply for VGLI, with evidence of good health after day 240. |
Source: VA.gov, SGLI and VGLI pages. Confirm your own dates with the VA before you separate.
Worked example. Say Sergeant Rivera separates at 28 holding the $500,000 maximum, which has been costing $26.00 a month, or $312 a year. He has 120 free days. If he applies for VGLI within 240 days, he needs no health proof, and at ages 29 and younger the VA lists $500,000 at $30 a month, or $360 a year. The price steps up with each five-year age band, to $690 a month at ages 65 to 69. So VGLI is a good bridge, and many people compare it with a level private term policy they can lock in earlier and keep flat. Our SGLI to VGLI conversion guide and VGLI rate chart have the full picture.
Compare the market
What the numbers look like.
We do not publish a USAA rate here, because the only honest USAA number is the quote you get for your own profile. These published figures show the range you are holding it up against, for $500,000 of coverage:
| Coverage | Source | Monthly · $500,000 |
|---|---|---|
| SGLI, active duty (with $1 TSGLI) | VA.gov | $26.00 |
| VGLI, ages 29 and younger | VA.gov | $30 |
| VGLI, ages 65 to 69 | VA.gov | $690 |
| 20-year level term, healthy non-smoker (one carrier’s sample) | New York Life pricing article | $26 to $55 |
VA figures per SGLI and VGLI pages. The term range is one carrier’s published sample for healthy non-smokers, not a USAA rate and not a quote. Your figure depends on your own age, health, tobacco use, and state.
How to use it: get the USAA quote, get one or two others for the same amount and term, and compare them against the VGLI figure for your age band. If USAA is within a few dollars and the no-war-clause language matters to you, that is a real reason to choose it.
Is it a good fit?
A simple way to decide on USAA.
USAA is a strong default for a military family, but the right call still depends on your situation. Here’s the rule of thumb we use when a member asks whether to put USAA at the top of the list.
- You’re active duty or a veteran and value coverage with no war clause, USAA earns a hard look.
- You want one carrier for term now and permanent later, its convertible term and full shelf fit.
- You’re purely price-shopping pure term and aren’t deployed, compare it side by side with two or three others for the same amount.
- You’re not USAA-eligible, a licensed professional can point you to carriers open to everyone.
For a family that serves, the no-war-clause coverage alone can be worth it. We still set USAA beside two or three others, because the right amount at the right price is what actually protects the people at home.
When to keep what you have
Sometimes the answer is don’t call us.
If you already hold a USAA policy that fits, keep it. A review that ends in “you’re in good shape” is a successful review. Here’s when we’d tell you to leave it exactly as it is.
- You’re active duty with USAA term locked in, that no-war-clause coverage is hard to beat, so hold it.
- Your coverage amount still matches the mortgage, income, and kids it’s meant to replace.
- You bought permanent coverage years ago at a younger age, surrendering it can cost more than it saves.
Thinking about dropping older coverage? Read our take on surrendering a life insurance policy before you do, sometimes the smarter move is to keep it. And if someone has just died, call the funeral home first, because a new policy does not pay for a death that has already happened.
- Whether your USAA term still has years left to convert
- If your coverage amount still matches your family’s real need
- Whether SGLI plus private term leaves a gap at separation
- That your beneficiary is current and correct
Straight answers
USAA questions, answered.
Reviewed by Aleen Alnono, licensed insurance agent (NPN 58310472) · Updated October 2026
01Is USAA life insurance only for military?
USAA Life Insurance is offered to USAA members, active-duty service members, veterans with an honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge, and their eligible spouses and children. The qualifying veteran has to have established USAA membership for family to join through them. If you are not eligible, a licensed professional can compare carriers open to everyone.
02Does USAA life insurance have a war clause?
USAA states its coverage has no war exclusion. Most civilian life policies include a war clause that can deny the death benefit for a combat-related death, which is one of the main reasons military families look at USAA. Any policy’s contract lists its exclusions, so read that page of whatever you buy, and ask for the answer in writing.
03What happens to my SGLI when I leave the service?
The VA gives you 120 days of free SGLI coverage from the date you leave the military. After that you can convert to Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) within 1 year and 120 days of discharge, for up to the amount you had through SGLI. If you apply within 240 days you do not need to prove you are in good health. Many people also lock in private term before they separate.
04What does USAA life insurance offer?
Level Term life for 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years with coverage from $100,000 up to $5 million, plus whole life and universal life for permanent coverage. Term policies are generally convertible to permanent coverage. USAA also writes annuities. Confirm current terms at usaa.com.
05Should I keep SGLI or buy USAA term?
Often you keep both while you serve. SGLI gives active-duty members up to $500,000 for $26.00 a month with the TSGLI premium, per the VA, and it is hard to beat on price. After you leave, free coverage runs 120 days, and VGLI premiums are age-based and rise by five-year band, from $30 a month at $500,000 for ages 29 and younger to $690 a month at ages 65 to 69. Private level term bought earlier stays level for its term. A licensed professional can size the gap with you.
06How much does VGLI cost compared with SGLI?
VGLI premiums depend only on your age, in five-year bands, and the VA does not charge more for gender or tobacco use. At $500,000, the VA lists $30 a month for ages 29 and younger and $690 a month at ages 65 to 69. Active-duty SGLI at $500,000 is $26.00 a month including TSGLI. Our SGLI vs. VGLI guide lays out the full timeline.
07Are USAA’s rates competitive?
It depends on your age, health, tobacco use, and coverage amount, as with every carrier. The honest way to know is to set USAA’s quote beside two or three others for the same coverage, which a free review does in minutes. For context, New York Life’s own pricing article shows a 20-year, $500,000 term policy for a healthy non-smoker at about $26 to $55 a month.
08How do I reach USAA customer service?
Existing members can reach USAA through usaa.com or the number on their policy or member card. If you’d like someone to read your policy with you first, and check whether your coverage still fits, a licensed professional on our team can do that and help you contact the carrier.
This is an independent review. Policy Review Center is not affiliated with or endorsed by USAA; product names and the USAA name are used for identification only. Plan details come from USAA and SGLI and VGLI figures come from the VA, and they can change. Confirm current terms with the carrier and at VA.gov. Educational only, not tax, legal, or financial advice; any coverage changes are completed through licensed insurance professionals.
Keep reading
- Prudential life insurance review (a large national insurer, worth comparing against USAA on term and permanent coverage).
- State Farm life insurance review (another household name that underwrites its own term and whole life).
- Progressive life insurance review (a broker model and bundling option to set beside USAA).
- Leaving the service? Read SGLI vs. VGLI and life insurance for veterans.
- Weighing permanent coverage? See whether whole life insurance is worth it.
- Already holding a USAA life policy? Here is how to cancel a USAA life insurance policy and why life is handled differently from USAA auto and home.
Free · Your decision
Read the USAA policy before you decide.
Call and a licensed professional will explain what you hold or what you are considering, compare real options for your age and health, and leave the decision with you. Free, no pressure.
- How USAA compares for your age and health
- Term, whole or universal, explained plainly
- Reading a USAA policy you already hold
- Cash value and premium questions
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