| Rental Car Insurance: Do You Need It? | | | | auto insurance doesn't cover your rental, you |
| | | | could be left holding a bill for tens of |
| If you have ever rented a car for a short | | | | thousands of dollars. This kind of costly |
| period of time, whether during a vacation, a | | | | mistake can be easily avoided just by making |
| business trip, or while your own automobile | | | | one phone call in advance. Even if you are |
| was being repaired, you have probably faced | | | | not planning to rent a car in the near |
| the question of whether to take out insurance | | | | future, it is not a bad idea to find out |
| at the rental agency desk when you rent the | | | | today whether your policy covers rental cars. |
| car. Paying your rental company for insurance | | | | That way, all the necessary information will |
| on your rental car is necessary sometimes, | | | | be there for you when you need it. |
| but not always. In fact, much of the time | | | | |
| rental car insurance ends up adding some | | | | Even if your regular insurance plan doesn't |
| fairly steep fees onto your rental even | | | | adequately cover rental cars, you don't |
| though the coverage you're paying for may be | | | | necessarily need to pay the high insurance |
| completely redundant. | | | | fees that a rental agency will probably |
| | | | charge. There are plenty of options to make |
| To know whether you need to write a check for | | | | sure your temporary wheels are covered in |
| the hefty chunk of change that many | | | | case of a collision or other cause of damage |
| automobile rental companies collect for | | | | to the car. In fact, you can get a much |
| insurance coverage, all you need to do is | | | | better rate than a rental agent is likely to |
| spend a bit of time finding out exactly what | | | | offer you even if you don't own a car of your |
| kind of coverage you already have. In many | | | | own. There are specific policies that |
| cases, your regular auto insurance is more | | | | insurance companies offer for customers who |
| than sufficient to protect you financially if | | | | rent cars frequently. A non-owner auto |
| you do damage a rental car. Anyone who owns | | | | liability insurance policy provides |
| an automobile of their own has an insurance | | | | affordable and usually quite comprehensive |
| policy that gives them some level of coverage | | | | protection for rental drivers who do not own |
| in case of damage to the car from an | | | | cars. If you don't have personal automobile |
| accident, theft, vandalism, or other mishap. | | | | insurance that already covers rentals, one of |
| It varies a bit from policy to policy, but | | | | these can offer you the security of knowing |
| most of the time this same coverage will | | | | you are fully covered without the steep |
| apply to a car rented in the policy owner's | | | | prices of rental agents' insurance packages. |
| name. This means that if your car is fully | | | | |
| insured, any rental car that you drive will | | | | Whether you find out that you need to take |
| probably be just as well covered as your | | | | out a non-owner auto liability insurance |
| personal automobile. | | | | policy, or whether you discover that you |
| | | | don't need to pay anything above what you |
| Of course, before you turn down added rental | | | | already do for insurance, a bit of |
| insurance at a rental car agency, make sure | | | | forethought and planning can save you a lot |
| you have spoken to your personal insurance | | | | of money at the rental desk. Your rental car |
| agent or a representative from the company | | | | may be temporary, but the savings will be |
| that holds your policy to make absolutely | | | | permanent. |
| sure your policy covers rental cars. If your | | | | |