Many people aren't sure how much coverage they already have. About 42 percent of consumers said they

Highlights travel tickets Most cardholders don't know if their card covered car rental insurance. Liability and collision damage waiver are most important for rental cars. Be sure to ask about exceptions such as business travel tickets trips.
During the hot summer season, it's easy to be more concerned with getting a tan than having adequate insurance for your rental car . But not knowing whether your personal auto insurance policy or credit card provides adequate protection can lead you to purchase duplicate coverage or drive off underinsured.
Many people aren't sure how much coverage they already have. About 42 percent of consumers said they were either "thoroughly confused or had only a rough idea about insurance coverage when renting a car," according to a 2007 survey from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, or NAIC. Of those who held credit cards, around 24 percent said they weren't sure if their credit card provided insurance benefits for car rentals.
To avoid making a costly mistake when you rent a car, research your existing coverage before taking a vacation. Call your insurance agent and the credit card issuer of the card you plan to use. Ask which types of coverage you have and what the limitations are. Benefits can vary among cards from the same issuer, so inquire about your specific card.
Which types of rental car insurance travel tickets should you worry about? Types of coverage Jeanne Salvatore, consumer spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, or III, says there are essentially four types of coverage for rental cars, but two in particular are must-haves.
"The most important coverages are the liability and the collision damage waiver . You don't want to make a mistake with either one of those," she says. If you don't have either coverage through your auto insurance or credit card, it might be wise to purchase them through the rental car agency.
travel tickets "Many credit cards will include some level of collision and theft protection," says NAIC president Jane Cline. To use this benefit from your credit card, you have to use that specific card to charge the rental and decline the CDW or LDW offered by the rental travel tickets car agency.
travel tickets Cline warns that in most cases the benefit would be secondary to your personal auto insurance. In other words, secondary coverage travel tickets would supplement your car insurance , which could lead to increased premiums if you have to file a claim.
Cards that provide primary coverage would shield you from increased premiums with your insurance company. For example, Premium Car Rental Protection from American travel tickets Express offers primary travel tickets coverage for theft or damage to the rental vehicle at a flat fee of $24.95 per rental period. advertisement
A CDW or LDW may also include coverage for costs that occur after an accident, such as towing charges, storage and "loss-of-use" fees, which compensate the rental agency for the amount of time that the damaged car is out of service for repair.
Find out from your card company or auto insurer travel tickets if the CDW or LDW covers such fees and how it verifies them. For example, MasterRental Insurance for World MasterCard cardholders requires the consumer to get a copy of the vehicle rental location or class-specific fleet utilization log from the rental agency.
travel tickets Bankrate wants to hear from you and encourages travel tickets thoughtful and constructive comments. We ask that you stay focused on the story topic, respect other people's opinions, and avoid profanity, offensive statements, illegal contents and advertisement posts. Comments are not reviewed before they are posted. Bankrate reserves the right (but is not obligated) to edit or delete travel tickets your comments. Please travel tickets avoid posting private or confidential information, and also keep in mind that anything you post may be disclosed, published, transmitted or reused.
travel tickets 10 of the richest NFL players 7 little-known Social Security benefits Celebrity house for sale: Wayne Newton 10 worst states for retirement 4 risky places to swipe your debit card Do train tracks reduce home value so much? What 6 TV homes would cost in real life 5 naughty things your credit card won't buy 5 high-denomination bills not being printed Best way to pay down $50K debt?
Advertising Disclosure: Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Bankrate may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.