USAA sets date for closing its financial center in north Columbus

USAA has finally released the date that its Columbus financial center at 6501 Veterans Parkway will be closed as part of a major downsizing of its physical brick-and-mortar presence.

The San Antonio-based company confirmed Tuesday that the 5,000-square-foot center near Columbus Park Crossing, which has been open since December 2013, will shut its doors on April 28, leaving an estimated 60,000-plus area members to use a network of local ATMs to access cash. They can download a USAA app for their smartphones that will help them find ATMs.

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“We were putting the signs in the financial centers today to let our members know that this was going to happen and so that they could prepare accordingly,” Matt Hartwig, USAA’s communications director, said Tuesday.

When it announced last September that it would be closing 17 of its 21 branches, USAA said it planned to add at least two ATM locations per closed financial center. It said Tuesday it expects to add more locations between April and September of this year.

“More details about the new ATM locations will be made available prior to the closings,” Hartwig said in an email. “We will update the ATM locator with the new locations as they become available.”

(USAA to close Columbus financial center on Veterans Parkway)

USAA said its members, or customers, already have access to more than 65,000 ATMs across the country to withdraw cash without a surcharge. Preferred ATM networks are Allpoint, Money Pass and PNC Bank. To find the closest machine, visit usaa.com/ATM or use the app.

In making the decision to shutter the financial centers, USAA said only 2.1 percent of its nearly 12 million members visited one of them last year. It also said more than 1 billion digital banking transactions took place via its mobile app or at usaa.com. Customers can call the company if they have questions, it said.

USAA, known as United Services Automobile Association, was founded in 1922 by a group of Army officers who decided to insure themselves because they were considered too much of a risk by other insurance companies at the time. Today, it serves all active-duty military, retirees, veterans and family members.

Historically known for its auto and home insurance products, about 30 years ago it entered financial services and now makes home and auto loans, along with everyday transactions such as deposits and withdrawals.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:09 PM with the headline "USAA sets date for closing its financial center in north Columbus."