Happy New Year. And if you’re renting a car, hold on to your wallet.

You’ve probably seen the headlines about rising travel costs (more on that in a minute). Airlines are inventing new ways to charge you for just about everything that used to be included in your ticket price. Hotels have “destination fees” that cover things you didn’t know you needed, like local phone calls.

But the most egregious money grab is happening right at the car rental counter—and almost no one is talking about it.

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