Purchasing rental insurance from a rental agency (typically a collision damage waiver, or CDW) tends to be a relatively poor bargain. Rental firms typically will charge you several times the actual value of the insurance.

For more cost-effective coverage, you should obtain insurance through a corporate or personal credit card. Many gold cards offer auto insurance coverage to rentals made with the card. Larger firms may want to add collision and liability insurance as part of their standard insurance package, or negotiate insurance coverage as part of a rental agreement.