If you’ve ever tried to perform an online transaction, establish an account or direct deposit, or make/receive tax payments then chances are you’ve needed to know the routing number of your bank or credit union.
While a commonly used number, it can be hard to know what your routing number is or where to find it. It can become even more complicated with large financial institutions that may have more than one routing number based on where you live.
Luckily, the USAA routing number is relatively simple because there is only one no matter where you live.
If you’re reading this post simply because you want to know your USAA routing number we’ll cut straight to the chase.
The USAA routing number is: 314074269
No matter where you live in the U.S., your USAA routing number will be 314074269. It’s that simple.
Now, if you want to learn more about USAA, eligibility, routing numbers, and where you can find your routing number then read on.
What Is USAA?
USAA stands for the United Services Automobile Association and is based in San Antonio, Texas. It’s a Fortune 500 company that offers diversified financial services to current or former U.S. armed forces members and their families.
USAA was founded in 1922 by a group of Army officers after they were unable to get auto insurance for being perceived as a high-risk group. Thus, while USAA began as an auto insurance company (hence the name), they have since expanded to offer a variety of other financial services.
Auto insurance was expanded to include homeowner’s and life insurance in the 1960s, investment management services were introduced in the 1970s, and finally banking services in the 1980s.
Currently, USAA offers a wide range of personal property and casualty insurance, banking through USAA Federal Savings Bank (established in 1983), and investing and financial planning via Charles Schwab, which acquired USAA’s investment and brokerage accounts in July of 2019.
USAA currently has more than 13 million members.
Who Is Eligible for USAA Membership?
USAA is different from most banks or credits unions in that it has a very specific niche that it serves.
Those who are current and former members of the U.S. armed forces (honorable discharge only), spouses of members, or children of members are eligible to become USAA members. You are also eligible for USAA membership if you are a precommissioned officer attending a U.S. Service Academy, Prep School, or ROTC program. Other officer candidates may also be eligible to join if you’re within 24 months of commissioning.
Furthermore, if you separated from a U.S. Service Academy before commissioning with a cadet ranking and an honorable discharge you may also be eligible.
Why Join USAA?
USAA offers a wide range of products and services to its members, but so do other financial institutions.
So, why join USAA?
There are two main reasons military members and their families should consider joining USAA.
First, it’s almost a one-stop shop for financial products and services. USAA is not only a bank, but also a comprehensive insurance provider and an investment firm all wrapped up into one. Thus, members can simplify their financial lives by getting almost all their financial needs taken care of in one place.
The drawback to this one-stop shop is that you may not always be getting the best rates or deals for every product or service. However, for simplicity sake it may be worth it to do all your business with one institution.
The second reason military members should consider USAA is because of the highly specific niche they serve. Serving only military members and military families allows the company to target their products and services to the specific needs of that group, meaning you’ll likely find the best products and services for military personnel with USAA.
What Is a Routing Number?
Now that we’ve established what USAA is and who they serve, let’s dive more into the USAA routing number and what that means.
Whether with USAA or another U.S. institution, a routing number is a nine-digit code that identifies the financial institution. It may also be referred to as an ABA routing transit number (ABA RTN) because the idea was developed by the American Bankers Association (ABA) in 1910 to help facilitate proper handling of paper checks to the check writer’s bank.
Fast-forward to 2020 and electronic payment methods now rely on the routing number to identify the paying financial institution. The ACH Network (direct deposits, bill payments, automated money transfers) and the Federal Reserve Banks (Fedwire transfers) both rely on routing numbers.
Some financial institutions will have more than one routing number depending on your location while others only have one. Typically, larger national institutions are more likely to have multiple routing numbers based on state or region, but this isn’t always the case.
In sum, almost everything you do online regarding payment or receiving money will rely on your routing number to identify the financial institution you’re a member of.
What Is a Routing Number Used For?
In short, the routing number is used to identify the financial institution that’s either paying or receiving the money in a transaction.
As already mentioned, some institutions have more than one routing number. In this case, the routing number not only identifies the institution but the region or state that the member lives in.
Where You Can Find Your USAA Routing Number?
Luckily, it shouldn’t be too hard to find your USAA routing number, or any institution’s routing number. Aside from a quick Google search there are a couple key places to look to find your routing number.
Online Account
You should always be able to find all the account numbers you need, including your routing number, from your online account.
Simply log in to your account and look around. If it’s not displayed on the account homepage, try clicking on the account information or details.
If you’re still having trouble finding your routing number jump on a quick chat or message with your financial institution or give them a call. They should be able give you what you need very quickly and help you find where to look for the future.
Checks
Another quick way to find your routing number is to look at one of your checks.
Three numbers will always be displayed at the bottom of a check, including the routing number, account number, and check number.
While some institutions will display the check number in the middle and others will have the account number in the middle, the routing number will always be on the left and the first number displayed.
Thus, the display will always go – routing number, check or account number, whichever number is left.
What Are the Other Numbers?
We’ve already covered this a bit in the section on checks, but the other numbers typically displayed are the account number and the check number.
For online accounts, you’ll also be able to see the account number for whatever account you’re looking at along with other relevant info about the account (such as balance).
The check number refers to which check you’re using. For instance, if you’ve written 100 checks on that account previously then the next check will have check number 101. Obviously, checks are somewhat antiquated in this day and age, but it’s still worthwhile to understand how they work in case you need to use one or are given one.
On the other hand, the account number identifies the specific user account being used to pay for something or to receive funds. Thus, while the routing number identifies the financial institution, the account number identifies the member account being used.
USAA Contact Information
Now that you know all about USAA, your routing number, and everything you ever wanted to know about routing numbers and the other numbers you need to know, let’s wrap things up by making sure you can contact the right people.
You should have everything you need to know, but just in case you don’t you can always contact USAA via a virtual agent here. You can also send a message or upload a document through your online account.
You can also call USAA and access any department through their main number by dialing either 210-531-USAA (8722) or 800-531-USAA (8722).
If you really want to go old school, you can also contact USAA through mail at:
USAA
9800 Fredericksburg Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78288
Moral of the Story
If you’re a USAA member and looking to pay bills or set up some other online transactions or accounts then you’ll need your USAA routing number to do so.
Luckily, USAA only has one routing number for every member no matter where they reside in the U.S. That number is: 314074269.
That routing number is used to identify USAA as the financial institution.
If you’re a U.S. service member, the spouse of one, or the child of one, you should consider joining USAA. Not only do they offer a wide range of financial services, but they specialize in military personnel and families and thus tailor their products and services to meet those specific needs.
If you’re a current USAA member and need your USAA routing number or account numbers, simply log onto your online account or pull out your checkbook to find those numbers.
Good luck, and thank you for your service.
