SmartMoney Monday: How to protect your money when you’re on vacation
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The last thing you want when you’re relaxing on vacation is to stress out over thieves. So how can travelers take off without worrying that someone’s taking off with their money? Today’s SmartMoney Monday is about how to protect your money when you’re on vacation.
We can’t control everything that might happen while on vacation, but we can take precautions. For example, carry cash and credit cards separately. Speaking of cash, don’t bring too much. And, hide the cash in several places, on your body, in your luggage and, in the safe in your hotel room. Make sure you have your credit card company’s phone number stored somewhere safe so, in case you lose it or it gets stolen when you’re traveling, you can call, cancel the card and have a new one sent to you. Plus, let your bank and credit card company know where you will be traveling so they don’t think your overseas spending is suspicious and freeze your cards.
For digital protections, look into two-step verifications on financial sites and use complicated passwords that change from site to site to better protect your sensitive financial information. Also, don’t post your travel plans on social media while you’re away. That lets everyone know your home is unoccupied and vulnerable. Posting pics while you’re over there could cause potential problems over here!
Something else that most people don’t think about while on vacation is their health insurance. Make sure your health insurance will protect you while traveling or look into travel insurance. Pay close attention not just to coverage limits but how expenses are paid. There may be hospitals overseas that won’t accept U.S. insurance, and will insist on payment for the full amount of your expenses up front. Be prepared. Basically keep a healthy eye on your money and your health insurance while traveling.
When you take the right precautions, you can truly enjoy your trip of a lifetime.
Copyright 2019 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
