I recently took a trip down to south Florida with my sister to attend my high school reunion. We decided that we wanted to rent a car and drive down to the Keys for a few days while we were there. At the airport, I’m in line to get the rental car, and my sister said, “We don’t need the extra insurance from them for the rental car, do we?”

Now, that’s a loaded question.  From an insurance agent’s perspective, here’s my best answer:

There is coverage on your auto policy should you wreck the rental car.  However, here is the real catch.  If you wreck the rental car, and that car is out of commission and can not be rented for a few weeks, the rental car company can come after you for “loss of use” of the vehicle.

That is not covered on your auto policy.

From me to you, I ALWAYS buy the insurance they offer at the rental car company for two reasons:

• It’s affordable. A few bucks a day while I’m on vacation to have the peace of mind that I’m completely covered is worth it to me.
• It’s convenient. If I wreck the rental car and I have their insurance, I simply hand them the keys and move on with my vacation. Well worth it.

It never hurts to check with your insurance agent before you leave—let them know what your plans are and what they recommend.

And, by the way, the reunion was great!!

By Robin Price