If you have ever wrangled with the various options on an insurance policy, you may have wondered whether to add rental-reimbursement coverage. This is insurance that pays for the cost of a rental car - all of it, or up to some limit - while your own car is being repaired. Unfortunately, there is no across-the-board answer to whether or not to buy this coverage. Instead, it's a cost-benefit analysis where you have to do your best to weigh out the various buckets of money now, money later, and the risks.

A lot of problems in insurance are similarly tricky. Are you an exceptionally safe driver? Do you usually qualify for 'safe driver' discounts, for example? You might want to cross your fingers and say, "I am so cautious and so safe, I'm not going to get the rental-reimbursement coverage because I doubt I will need a mechanic in the first place."

It's understandable that people would go this direction. It's a hard call, especially with an ongoing recession in many places, to know how much of your hard-earned income to earmark and lock away in a more expensive policy, and how much to keep 'liquid.' However, you should carefully consider the dangers in saying no.

Although it is unpleasant to envision, consider that you might have an accident that is unrelated to your good behavior. If you are forced to rent a car out of pocket, you might end up wishing you had added rental-reimbursement coverage.

Also, salespeople can be a problem if you doubt their honesty. If you've never even heard of rental-reimbursement coverage before, and a salesman hands you a form with optional categories and checkboxes at the bottom, you might be tempted to say 'no way' out of sheer indignation. He could be preying on your caution and selling you something that is more expensive than it needs to be.

It's a minefield of pros and cons out there. If possible, ask an older relative. Find someone you trust who has been driving forever, and ask them whether they think rental-reimbursement coverage is crucial. Good luck!