Sean Shim - Pyramid Insurance

(8 reviews)

I can't say enough good things about Amie Kobayashi at Finance Insurance. She worked so hard for me…read moreand never gave up, even when things got frustrating. She stayed positive, kept trying different options, and truly cared about helping me get the best outcome. I'm so grateful for her persistence! She did an amazing job. Laura

SO IMPRESSED with Amie Kobayashi as a hard-working, caring insurance agent. From the first call I…read moremade, asking about the increase in our hurricane insurance, she reassured me she would check into trying to find us one with a better rate . She ended up working on our policy, researching & comparing until late at night, and let me know the next day that she found one that was $1000 cheaper for us ! I have never had an agent take that much interest, or put that much time, into helping me as a client. Totally a five-star person. I just can't rave enough about her.

Brandon Kim - State Farm Insurance Agent

(25 reviews)

I have had an excellent experience working with Brandon Kim's State Farm team. As an Administrative…read moreManager, I frequently need assistance with business policies, workers' compensation, vehicle insurance, insurance cards, and policy updates, and their office has consistently been responsive, professional, and helpful. I especially want to recognize Mike Choi and Deja Nako for their outstanding customer service. Mike is always professional, knowledgeable, and quick to respond. He follows through on requests, communicates clearly, and makes even complex insurance matters easy to navigate. Deja Nako has also been incredibly helpful and efficient, particularly when I need insurance documentation, policy information, or assistance with vehicle-related requests. She is always friendly, responsive, and willing to help. Whenever I have needed something for our business or vehicle policies, she has been quick to assist and help keep things moving. Even when the office is busy, the team consistently provides excellent communication and customer service. It is clear that Brandon Kim has built a strong team that genuinely cares about its clients. Thank you to Brandon, Mike, Deja, and the entire team for your continued support and outstanding service. It is truly appreciated.

Made the difficult decision to switch insurance companies. I reached out to a few companies for a…read morequote, and Brandon responded quickly and made his schedule flexible to meet me in person. It was nice for a change to walk in an actual office, and meet an actual agent with actual live team of workers. No more having to deal with a company that has a 1-800 mainland number having to talk with over the phone. It was a much needed change to switch, as Brandon analyzed our previous home policy with our previous insurance carrier and felt it was under insured. Although he increased the coverage, the premium was just about the same. Additionally, not needing to deal with a 3rd party company for the hurricane coverage as State Farm was able to cover it as well. As for our auto, unbelievable savings. Brandon gave my son a great discount on my his classic car since he almost never drives it. We have a great discount on our other auto's using the Drive Safe & Save App. The Bluetooth beacon was easy to connect to the State Farm Drive Safe App, and the beacon is left in the car to monitor our driving such as: speeding, hard breaking, fast cornering distracted driving. The app will rate your driving performance in each category, you can check on your score. My son fussed a bit about needing to have it in his other car, but when I suggested he pay his own policy, he was okay with it. The life insurance process took a while, but Brandon kept in touch every step of the way. He explained what would be happening next etc. Mister and I had the choice of doing either a phone interview or an on-line interview and the processor was so friendly and patient! I got everything ready in advance, such as my medical history, medications, doctors information etc. Ultimately, I did not need to take a blood exam because they spoke directly with my physician for the information to make a final decision! Brandon and his staff is so diligent, super duper friendly Brandon is straight up and professional. When leaving either a telephone message or sending Brandon an email, he responds right away! I'm so happy and feel secure being with State Farm. Brandon is so patient and took his time explaining the policies and is great at recommending what is best. THANK YOU BRANDON!, THANK YOU BRANDON'S STAFF!

Jef Saragena - State Farm Insurance Agent

(22 reviews)

Jef is great. He is so personable. Like your talking to a good friend on the phone…read more Rates are good. Always has your best interests at heart. Truly like the commercials! Always had State Farm and always will. They are good!

Couldn't have asked for a better first experience with State Farm. Jef not all made sure I was okay…read moreand that I knew the next steps, but helped me to learn what I should do if I were ever to end up in the same situation again. I give Jef my highest recommendation.

Shelli Toguchi-Hadley - State Farm Insurance Agent

4.9

(66 reviews)

Shelli & Todd ROCK!! Todd helped us with a Certificate of…read moreInsurance for our event so quickly! Thank you!!

I've been with Shelli for a super long time, since my oldest was in elementary and now in her final…read moreyear of high school. From my life policy, car's to home insurance she's got you covered! From the first day I walked in she always made me feel at home, didn't feel rushed and always made sure I got the best policy possible. She's great at what she does! When I say I trust her I truly do. She's got that golden touch. If you ever need an agent she's the one to go to. Nelida...YOU ARE THE BEST Went in to discuss our policies for our kids and she made it so easy for us. She showed me all the different policies and what was best for us. Let me tell you Nelida she always is on top of thing's whenever an issue with our plan arises she's calls me right away and get's it taken care of. It's the point I know when the office calls us and im logging into my app or checking my email. I appreciate you both and thankyou for everything you have done for us and that's the honest truth.

New York Life Insurance Company

3.2

(10 reviews)

My family and I have been using this insurance company for years now. Our agent at the time was…read moreLori Yano, but she left the company I think and we were reassigned to Shaun Hamada for a few years now and he's is amaaazing. We normally sit down with him annually to go over our retirement, life insurances, etc. He is very knowledgable and friendly. He breaks down the process or procedures so we could better understand their policy and what we need to do. My kids have Gerber Life Insurance, but we also signed them up for NY Life because the premium fees are very affordable. The premium for even my wife and I are great. Even better in the long run. If you ever want to get insurance from NY Life, I would recommend seeking for Shaun Hamada. Their parking lot is within the same building on the 1st/2nd floor. They provide parking validation so make sure you bring your ticket.

Back in Feb 17, 2018 we went over to the offices of NY Life. Did all the paper work with a lady who…read morewas not our agent. So she could not give us any answers. Father had a small life insurance policy. They said check would n Be in the mail within 3-5 weeks. Today is May 12, 2018 and no check. I did reach out to them and all paper work seems to be gone. Said a check would be issued by May 1 or so. Hope to get something from them soon. What if the policy was for say 100K for a million! Would they EVER pay? I hope to see interest tacked on to our check if we ever get one. Story to continue...

Pacific Guardian Life

3.1

(9 reviews)

The worst insurance TDI company I heard of. Been back to work for more then a month and they still…read morehaven't gotten back to me on my TDI check amount and day of issuing out my check. Nobody answers the phones, voicemail and emails been inbox for days. They suck

Terrible customer service,I called several times, left messages with a promise of return phone…read morecall, never happened

AAA Insurance

3.8

(193 reviews)

Best save for my family vacation. I'm so moved how nice people can still be in today's chaotic…read moreworld. We were leaving the country and somehow we lost our international drivers permit. We had a 1 hour time to get it done before take off. The office staff were closing at 14:00 with a whole week of hard work. I called them and they were nice enough to help me get the application rolling and everything set up before I arrive. It was the best service ever. Nina welcomed and waited for me with smiles on her face. I feel so lucky and my family gets to enjoy the vacation we planned a year ahead.

The cancellation lady was nice and good at her job. (~11am 06/29/26)…read more However, their overall customer service is so awful I had to leave and go with someone more expensive. I tried updating my insurance policy but never got a response back. I waited 2 weeks and sent 4 messages including to their corporate office which told me the Hawaii branch manager would contact me in 48 hours- a week ago. However, this is not an isolated incident. I never received my proof of insurance (and of course their app wasn't working, it's usually under "maintenance"). In August 2025, at this point I had already dealt with issues of them not being able to find my account because I had a membership for roadside assistance in a different state a long time ago. This was of course a someone's fault who "no longer works here". After, I had to find the solution by calling a branch in a different state, they disassociated my old account. Then the Hawaii branch was able to locate my account. Normally, a simple request of "Proof of Insurance", would not be an issue. But behold, in the Hawaii branch it is! I was told they would mail it to me- they didn't. I contacted their support via email as at this point I have no paper trail proving their negligence. Of course, the manager would be in contact with me in 48 hours... can you guess what didn't happen? So I message their general support again, no response. I message the sales guy, no response. At this point you start to ask, does this branch actually have employees, or are they that awful at regular customer support and lack competent management? Eventually, after several calling attempts (clearly they don't want to leave a paper trail of their lack of work.). They finally send me my proof of insurance. Since then, I tried to avoid contacting them as it wasn't worth the headache of trying to get people to do their job. However, I unfortunately needed to update my auto insurance to reflect changes of my car, leading to my statement in the first paragraph. I am grateful I didn't need to make a claim. Imagine, you get in an accident or your property has damage, then your insurance company (that you pay thousands a year to) decides they don't feel like working. Stolen vehicle? You gotta hunt down the branch manager while the cops look for your car. To be fair, I can't speak for every department. People have positive reviews for vacations, roadside assistance, and others. But, the only successful communication I had was with their cancellation department. My suggestion is to promote her to branch manager. At least she knows how basic customer service works, plus she actually responded back and provided a solution to prevent auto renewal. I can't tell you if anyone else knows how to do that since I never heard back from them (specifically management). Also, they spammed me with life insurance scam letters like 4-5 a week. That could be at a corporate level issue but nonetheless. I went with USAA because I went to their customer support and heard back within 30 seconds- might be 30 days+ with this AAA branch.

University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union

(195 reviews)

This is my local bank. They're easy to use and friendly. There's only three locations but they are…read moreall near me so that is helpful. There's free parking in the lot of the King and McCully location, and there is a location on the main UH Manoa campus as well. There's an ATM as well as tellers inside. They are always prompt and there is not much of a long line. I'm very happy with my membership with this credit union.

Love the monthly bingo games! But it's a bummer that they…read moredon't support Quicken connectivity. The lack of that service adds a layer of work for me every month when I have to enter and reconcile everything. Kind of odd in this day and age.

Finance Factors

(3 reviews)

My parents love banking at this Finance Factors. It's in Manoa next to Bangkok Chef. They've been…read morehelped by Jennifer for the past 11 years. I believe she is the branch manager. My mom tells me how helpful Jennifer is. She contacts my parents about promos and higher interest rates. I don't bank at Finance Factors, but had to drive my mom here the other day to get some documents signed. I can see why my mom likes Jennifer. Jennifer is very personable and knows her stuff about banking.

The nicest staff in this neighborhood location. Clean & 2 assigned parking spaces just for…read morecustomers. If you live in Manoa Valley this is a great financial institution that's right in your area.

Navy Federal Credit Union

3.1

(93 reviews)

Navy veteran (honorable discharge) and total of 40+ years service at Pearl Harbor. 800+ credit. I…read moreapplied for an account to create a CD and got an error message saying I already have an account. I DO NOT HAVE AN ACCOUNT. I called and a rep confirmed I do not have an account and told me not to worry because the accounts team was processing my application. Then, about 10 days later, I get an email saying "We're sorry! An error occurred with your membership application Your recent application for membership may have been denied in error. So sorry for the inconvenience!" And to try again. What an immense cluster%@3! Obviously, I am not going to open an account with such a sloppy enterprise.

Crowded, rude staff, they want members to make appointments for the most routine of transactions…read more During COVID, the staff was unbearably domineering, as if active duty, retired, veterans and their families did not deserve the respect we earned. Kane'ohe/Aikahi branch is usually better but it's a long drive. Overall, been a member of NFCU for over 50 years and the NFCU has only helped me once. The rest of the time I keep a small balance and use it for ATM withdrawals for my own convenience because they claim to be the world's largest credit union and have branches all over. Don't rely on NFCU for car loans, mortgages, HELOCs, and other loan instruments. Try another credit union, an online loan merchant, or even a bank and you may get better terms and service.

Currency Exchange International

(109 reviews)

I've exchanged money here before with no problems. I guess I'm being alittle petty about $5 but $5…read moreis $5. LOL I went in to exchange Korean won to Japanese yen. The gal told me she can't do that but then I would need to exchange the won to US dollars and then US dollars to yen. Ok, fine. The $5 exchange fee was charged for the first transaction and she said she would waive the $5 exchange fee for the second transaction. Ok, sounds good to me. I didn't look at the receipt until a couple of days later and found that the $5 exchange fee was charged to me on both transactions. I called them and the guy who answered told me they don't waive fees and doesn't know why the gal who helped me said that. Hmmm.. I don't know why either. Lesson learned, check receipts as soon as you can.

Honestly some of the best rates on this side of the island! They used to have a small kiosk on the…read moremakai side but now they're in Mauka Pearlridge. If you park by Macy's and enter through there, once you walk through it'll be on your right side. You can reserve currency online and they will let you know when to pick up. Or if you'd like to chance it, go in and pick up the currency you need you may be lucky to get some. They do have the list of currencies they do keep on hand on the screen with exchange rates. But in the off chance the currency you need isn't up on the board, feel free to ask. They may have what you're looking for.

Hawaii State Federal Credit Union

4.2

Banking in Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. Hawaii State Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union on the Island! It has many locations, including this newest addition on Keeaumoku Street. Note: The entrance is actually facing Walmart on Rycroft Street Parking: free with validation, the entrance to the covered parking structure is on Sheridan Street Location: in the HMSA Center, ground level Service: efficient and helpful. Noah helped me. He's a great listener and got the problem solved! Environment: clean, bright, and modern! Thank you for your attentiveness and courtesy! The waiting area was very comfortable! Tip: Closed on Sundays. Half days on Saturdays.

Grand opening celebration today 09/15/25…read more Secured a certificate of deposit at the grand opening special rate of 4% for a 9 month term. We received an adorable piggy bank and tote bag at the grand opening! Validated parking inside the HMSA building. Parking stalls are tight so be careful. Electric vehicle stations on the first floor are available.

Central Pacific Bank

3.5

(13 reviews)

Thank you Manami San! She took care of an on going issue that wasn't resolved. I just mentioned it…read morein passing and she took the initiative to assist me! Very appreciative. Great omotenashi service!

The personal banker Jason is the worst. He will only speak to you if you're opening an account or…read moredoing a transaction that will benefit him and reach his goals. If you ever need servicing on your account, he will ignore numerous emails and phone calls. He had appointment slots available but canceled because he didn't want to service an account.

Currency Exchange International

4.1

(84 reviews)

Great service. Didn't know they moved from center kiosk to store front between Macy's and pieology.read more

My wife sometimes travels to Japan, and since the price of the yen is historically low right now…read morecompared to the U.S. dollar, she wanted to purchase a modest amount of Japanese yen. My first thought was to go to our regular bank, but after briefly thinking about it, I recalled how complicated things can become just to try to use their notary services. Upon checking, I confirmed that even for existing customers, buying a foreign currency may take several business days. Customers must visit a branch and "reserve" yen in advance, with the rate being determined on the day of reservation, and this service may not be available at all branches. I searched for a foreign currency exchange service and Currency Exchange International (CXI) stood out by being conveniently located in the International Market Place in Waikiki. We arrived at the Market Place just before 11 am, and having read a recent review placing them between Macy's and Pieology, I figured that Macy's would be easier to locate than the currency exchange. That's what threw off our search. There didn't appear to be an entrance to Macy's from where we were, so we had to go out to Kalakaua Ave. to reach Macy's, and the exchange was nowhere in sight. I did try to call the number but no one answered, understandable if the only person there was assisting customers. We went back into the Market Place and finally found it near the "Customer Service" sign and next to the escalator, and realized we had passed it before in our search for Macy's. When we reached the window, the gentleman was assisting a couple. I gathered they were purchasing currency by card, and that they were being asked to produce ID. After they received their currency and left, we were next, and I noticed someone else waiting behind us. At the window, I announced that I wanted to purchase Japanese yen and gave him the amount. He asked how I was going to pay, and I said "cash," and it seemed to be a straightforward process from there. He quoted the exchange rate he would be using, how much he would charge me for the currency, and the $5.00 exchange fee. I handed him the cash, and he passed back the Japanese yen and the receipt. Everything was smoothly executed. Later I had time to analyze precisely how the exchange worked. We were openly quoted an exchange rate, and by accepting, we agreed to it. The receipt had this disclaimer: "The exchange rate used for this transaction may vary from other exchange rates in existence globally." Using a rate which is slightly advantageous to the exchange and adding the exchange fee is how the business makes a profit. After comparing against other published rates, my feeling is that this was all worth it, given that we didn't need to make an appointment at a bank, for instance, and wait for them to obtain the currency. What might have taken days and involved an inconvenient location elsewhere was accomplished in a few minutes by going to CXI and paying cash.

Global Currency

(4 reviews)

Euro exchange went well, no waiting. No reservations no lines, very convenient. Only 100.00 euro…read morenotes were available though.

Traveling shopaholic…read more.. Always in need of some currency exchange that got me intrigued when I noticed this Ala Moana Center location on the Street Level right behind Centerstage. It's obvious what it is and understand it's the convenient mall location and I've been watching the numbers dip high and low and have asked if they sell a specific currency which they do and is so nice to know though noticed that they do charge a huge fee of $8.99 regardless of the amount that you're purchasing which can be reasonable if you're getting a large amount though reading further that they may need your personal information as well discouraged me quite a bit. They don't post the numbers so you just need to ask the staff which is very quick and easy but gonna check around further as this is not my thing. Thank you!

Sean Shim - Pyramid Insurance - autoinsurance - Updated July 2026

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Alan was the perfect person to help with my insurance situation…read more Not only did I get the same coverage, I got it for practically 1/2 the price! This guy really does his research and answers his phone promptly and quickly. Helped me walk through my policy with complete understanding. Thanks a bunch Alan!

AAA Insurance

3.8

(193 reviews)

Best save for my family vacation. I'm so moved how nice people can still be in today's chaotic…read moreworld. We were leaving the country and somehow we lost our international drivers permit. We had a 1 hour time to get it done before take off. The office staff were closing at 14:00 with a whole week of hard work. I called them and they were nice enough to help me get the application rolling and everything set up before I arrive. It was the best service ever. Nina welcomed and waited for me with smiles on her face. I feel so lucky and my family gets to enjoy the vacation we planned a year ahead.

The cancellation lady was nice and good at her job. (~11am 06/29/26)…read more However, their overall customer service is so awful I had to leave and go with someone more expensive. I tried updating my insurance policy but never got a response back. I waited 2 weeks and sent 4 messages including to their corporate office which told me the Hawaii branch manager would contact me in 48 hours- a week ago. However, this is not an isolated incident. I never received my proof of insurance (and of course their app wasn't working, it's usually under "maintenance"). In August 2025, at this point I had already dealt with issues of them not being able to find my account because I had a membership for roadside assistance in a different state a long time ago. This was of course a someone's fault who "no longer works here". After, I had to find the solution by calling a branch in a different state, they disassociated my old account. Then the Hawaii branch was able to locate my account. Normally, a simple request of "Proof of Insurance", would not be an issue. But behold, in the Hawaii branch it is! I was told they would mail it to me- they didn't. I contacted their support via email as at this point I have no paper trail proving their negligence. Of course, the manager would be in contact with me in 48 hours... can you guess what didn't happen? So I message their general support again, no response. I message the sales guy, no response. At this point you start to ask, does this branch actually have employees, or are they that awful at regular customer support and lack competent management? Eventually, after several calling attempts (clearly they don't want to leave a paper trail of their lack of work.). They finally send me my proof of insurance. Since then, I tried to avoid contacting them as it wasn't worth the headache of trying to get people to do their job. However, I unfortunately needed to update my auto insurance to reflect changes of my car, leading to my statement in the first paragraph. I am grateful I didn't need to make a claim. Imagine, you get in an accident or your property has damage, then your insurance company (that you pay thousands a year to) decides they don't feel like working. Stolen vehicle? You gotta hunt down the branch manager while the cops look for your car. To be fair, I can't speak for every department. People have positive reviews for vacations, roadside assistance, and others. But, the only successful communication I had was with their cancellation department. My suggestion is to promote her to branch manager. At least she knows how basic customer service works, plus she actually responded back and provided a solution to prevent auto renewal. I can't tell you if anyone else knows how to do that since I never heard back from them (specifically management). Also, they spammed me with life insurance scam letters like 4-5 a week. That could be at a corporate level issue but nonetheless. I went with USAA because I went to their customer support and heard back within 30 seconds- might be 30 days+ with this AAA branch.

Sue Ann Lu - State Farm Insurance Agent

Zero Stars!!!!!!!!!!! Had been a loyal customer for over 20 years. Filed one claim due to the Maui…read morefires. They only cover $600 for damages caused to my roof. Then send me a notice that they're canceling my coverage due to claim history!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. This company is a joke!!!!! I hope they go bankrupt. Fraudulent thieves.

I just renewed my policies. Sue Ann Lu has been my agent for over 12 years! She always been…read moreprompt and professional with my business! I respect her candid guidance with my policies. She always has my best interest when recommending options! You can count on her professional Integrity with your insurance needs!

New York Life Insurance Company

3.2

(10 reviews)

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Back in Feb 17, 2018 we went over to the offices of NY Life. Did all the paper work with a lady who…read morewas not our agent. So she could not give us any answers. Father had a small life insurance policy. They said check would n Be in the mail within 3-5 weeks. Today is May 12, 2018 and no check. I did reach out to them and all paper work seems to be gone. Said a check would be issued by May 1 or so. Hope to get something from them soon. What if the policy was for say 100K for a million! Would they EVER pay? I hope to see interest tacked on to our check if we ever get one. Story to continue...

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