I guess humor, sarcasm, emotions, or lack thereof is hard to gauge on that internet thingy.

1. I'm still at USAA and still satisfied for the most part with the company and their service. They are a very strong company that won't go out of business any time soon.

2. I bring up the longevity issue not to demean or call anyone a "junior member," but to make the point that things started changing from my perspective in the 80s/early 90s when the company experienced massive expansion from it's core business and clientelle. Someone who was not a member prior to these changes has never had the opportunity to experience how much better the service and pricing was back then. The "I'll see you a 1978" was ment tounge and cheek. Sorry if anyone was offended.

3. Many of the newer policies in place now, IMHO, would never have passed muster 20 years ago under the "old regime" when the emphasis appeared to be on service first and profits second. IMHO there has been a very slow shift in the direction of profits before service or profits at the expense of service. Service is still good, but not as good as it used to be and profits are continually rising.

4. I do pay attention to details (as most pilots are known for) and USAA does too. They have just shifted when and where they choose to be diligent. I do not expect them to track my address down, that IS my responsibility. I do expect them to drop points off of my son's record when they expire just as efficiently as they add them. That IS THEIR responsibility. They have changed the way they do a lot of things that I'm none too pleased with. Each one is designed to increase profitability or reduce cost at the expense of service.

5. Integrity is what one does when nobody is watching. My integrity is such that if I was under billed, I would bring it to their attention. I don't think my integrity is a problem unless it is that my integrity might be a little higher than theirs. If they over billed me I would expect them to refund it. For the record, when I did think I was over billed, I did bring it to their attention and they did refund me. Then they said, We are sorry we over charged you. The problem is that each time this happened it boiled down to their lack of attention to detail and their "I'm sorry" sounded a lot like a kid today saying "my bad."

5. I only walked or rode my bike to school (without a helmet) in elementary school. It was in the south, so we never had snow and it was very flat. After that, I rode the bus until I started driving.

6. I am not too old to learn. I still take constructive criticism well, hence the additional returns in this post. No need to call me SIR unless it makes you feel better. I'm a civilian now.

7. I still think USAA is a very good insurance company, a pretty good bank and a horrible mortgage company. I have come to the conclusion that they may not be the premier company of old. My eyes have slowly been opened over time and I have come to the conclusion that there may be some other companies that are capable of providing a level of service comparable to them for more than a little less cost. I have started shopping (slowly) and will be happy to share my findings when I finally reach a decision. After spending over 30 years with USAA and proudly claiming accolades for their top notch service and great pricing, I have a hard time cutting the apron strings. If I can find a better value, I will switch. In the meantime, my homeowners and auto insurance remain with USAA. My boat insurance remains with progressive, where I was sent by USAA.