Sharp upper and lower bounds are derived for the solution of renewal equations. These include as special cases exponential inequalities, some of which have been derived for specific renewal equations. Together with the well-known Cramér-Lundberg asymptotic estimate, these bounds give additional information about the behaviour of the solution. Nonexponential bounds, which are of use in connection with defective renewal equations, are also obtained. The results are then applied in examples involving the severity of insurance ruin, age-dependent branching processes, and a generalized type II Geiger counter.
