question about online access being cancelled

[cj0203]

We have USAA (for our checking and 2 savings acct, as well as car insurance), which is entirely online of course. We are not discharging anything they have, but we do have a car loan we want to reaffirm so I know it has to be listed. My question is, are they likely to cancel my online access when we file? It would make my checkbook/budgeting nearly impossible to keep up with since I do everything thru online bill pay and track all our spending on the site.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Should I start writing things down for when they cancel? Thing is, I don't even get paper statements, I have EVERYTHING done online so if I lose access I'll be totally lost.

Thanks!

[lrprn]

After we filed Ch 13 20 months ago, our USAA online access was cancelled. We had to call them about another matter this week and asked if we could have our online access re-established. Our request went up to a manager, but the response was no. Since we are in an active Ch 13, they cannot (read: won't) re-establish our online access to our life and auto insurance accounts.

However, USAA has been sending us paper bills through the mail for our auto insurance regularly for the last 20 months (we pay our life insurance by auto-pay out of our checking account like we always have). Now I pay our auto insurance bill through our bank's online payment option. That way I have third party proof our payments were made plus I set up reminders so I'd be reminded to make the payments on time. So far, so good!

Yes, it's inconvenient to change your USAA payment habits through their website, but you have good alternatives. You might find you like paying online through your bank because you can pay many of your bills electronically that way - so much less hassle! Give it a try - you might like it Just be sure to request paper bills from USAA for anything not included in your bankruptcy.

[cj0203]

The problem is, USAA IS our bank! We don't have any other bank accounts. So if we lose online access I CAN'T do billpay. I already use billpay for pretty much everything, and it's ALL thru USAA.

See what I mean?

I want to call and ask but I don't want to flag my account quite yet about the bankruptcy. I don't know what to do! If they do take it away, I"ll get it back after the discharge, right?

[jdmc1973]

I have a Wachovia checking and savings account and a car loan through them and although I can't see the details of my car loan account anymore, I still have access to my checking and savings like I did before I filed Ch. 7.

[kmb]

We had a credit card through our bank that we IIB'd. They did not shut down our access to our checking account, but the credit card disappeared from our profile. I can still go on line and do my banking and download it into MS Money without a problem.

[cj0203]

I am hearing that USAA is more hardcore about this than a 'regular' bank.

[cj0203]

I called and the rep said as long as they don't have anything actually included in the bankruptcy we won't lose access.

They can't straight out lie, can they?

[oldbaddebts]

Problem might be though that in order to reaffirm a debt it first has to be included in the bk. You have to have the reaffirmation approved before it is taken out of the bk.... and you have to include all debts on your filing even if you plan to reaffirm.

They might restrict your access for the month or two it takes to get the reaffirmation approved. Maybe they will let you retain access to the accounts if you file your "statement of intentions" along with your initial filing so that the process of reaffirming can be started in a timely fashion.

[funEface]

The auto that you intend to reaffirm...does USAA hold this lien? If so I believe you will have problems. Because we submitted an intent to reaffirm both of our USAA auto loans (we each had one) and they didn't even consider allowing it. "ride through" was fine (ie. they still take my payments) but it IS listed as IIB and they were first to file a claim (even before our 341) for our auto amounts (but they still have not, to date, filed a claim for the Credit Cards.) They killed our online access (which was checking, savings, Auto Insurance, both auto loans and Money Market). Was also told they will be not renewing our auto insurance policy since the bank "suffered a loss".

If your auto loan is not USAA I can't imagine you'd have as many problems. Lesson I learned- don't put all your eggs in one basket.

[MajorMike]

We have our insurance with state farm and had a credit card with them that we filed on and we still have our online access to our policies ( for now anyway )
We don't have access to the credit card part but we don't need that anyway.

[cj0203]

The auto that you intend to reaffirm...does USAA hold this lien? If so I believe you will have problems. Because we submitted an intent to reaffirm both of our USAA auto loans (we each had one) and they didn't even consider allowing it. "ride through" was fine (ie. they still take my payments) but it IS listed as IIB and they were first to file a claim (even before our 341) for our auto amounts (but they still have not, to date, filed a claim for the Credit Cards.) They killed our online access (which was checking, savings, Auto Insurance, both auto loans and Money Market). Was also told they will be not renewing our auto insurance policy since the bank "suffered a loss".

If your auto loan is not USAA I can't imagine you'd have as many problems. Lesson I learned- don't put all your eggs in one basket.

We do have one auto loan with them we will be attempting to reaffirm. did you discharge anything you had with them? If I read it right, you discharged a CC with them? Or did you just have the car loans and attempt to reaffirm everything and they STILL blocked you?

[funEface]

We do have one auto loan with them we will be attempting to reaffirm. did you discharge anything you had with them? If I read it right, you discharged a CC with them? Or did you just have the car loans and attempt to reaffirm everything and they STILL blocked you?

We had 2 auto loans and 2 credit cards (one for each and we filed BK joint). When our paperwork was prepared we wanted to reaffirm our auto loans (not the CC). They didn't even consider it. We filed 9/1 as no asset Ch 7. On 9/20 USAA submitted a claim for both of the auto loans. Our online access was taken pretty much a day or two after we filed. We can call and make payments for our autos via 'check by phone' to their special bk dept (reg cs reps can't help you).

I strongly suggest changing to paper statements now...what can it hurt? You can always look online if they don't block you but that way you have statements coming if they do. Good luck- my whole perspective of USAA changed after we filed. I understand that they lost money but man...they really don't make it easy for you to stay (which I believe is their intention).

[PaKettle]

We do have one auto loan with them we will be attempting to reaffirm. did you discharge anything you had with them? If I read it right, you discharged a CC with them? Or did you just have the car loans and attempt to reaffirm everything and they STILL blocked you?

You may want to consider not reaffirming your car loan. Generally attorneys advise against this. You can usually keep the car and keep paying it but not reaffirm the loan. This is usually an advantage to you.

[Darxion]

USAA Online Access Blocked

USAA doesn't block online access to the normal web site until bankruptcy has been discharged. Once discharged, they block access without notice while allowing limited access to your accounts and bill payment via USAA Mobile (yes, you can access it via the Web on your PC and do not need a mobile phone). Of course, you can't see any bills for BillPay nor statements nor checks, etc.; but, it still allows you to schedule payments (already in your list), transfer funds, and otherwise track balances and transactions.

To the end of getting normal access, I pursued the reason behind it: It is a USAA policy, not a requirement under any law or regulation. They will not, at this time, bend on the access restrictions; however, I did have a discussion with USAA about the blocking, specifically with the Executive Office, and suggested that they just block access to those items that they do not want one who has filed bankruptcy to have access to such as opening new accounts, etc. While it may not be as simple as that on the programming side, it is as simple as that if USAA wants to continue to provide the 5 Star services and support that they always have provided (until bankruptcy) and continue to retain current customers (and perhaps add future customers such as dependants).

I also brought up the point that USAA is going to be spending a lot of extra money mailing out paper copies of statements, prosepctus, policies, etc., that they could otherwise save by not blocking normal online access and otherwise just blocking content. They say that they are taking such things under consideration, especially considering the economy and the number of people having financial difficulties and/or filing for bankruptcy.

For my part, I am giving USAA a couple of months to see if they are going to work towards a positive resolution before I completely bail with all of my business (except life insurance and maybe reafirrmed autombile loan). It will be a pain to have to move my Checking (including online bill payment), Savings, Roth IRA, Auto Insurance, Homeowner's Insurance, Property Insurance, and maybe Auto Loan; but, if that is what I need to eventually do in order to have normal online account access for all my business, that is what I will have to do. ;-(

[cj0203]

I never lost online access at all, this was almost 2 years ago. I didn't reaffirm my car loan, but I continued automatic payments.

I am still a USAA customer.