10 Tips to Avoid Money Disasters While Traveling

You’re excited to travel and you were in such a rush that you forgot to…..

1. Notify your bank that you’re going abroad before leaving.
   By providing notification of your travel plans, the bank will make certain you have access to cash and credit reserves while abroad. Otherwise, a bank can temporarily block the account and will not allow you to make any purchases.
2. Take multiple credit cards with you.
   Never assume that restaurants, shops, and hotels will accept all forms of credit cards. American Express, for instance, is not necessarily accepted as it charges higher merchant fees.
3. Write down your bank’s international customer service number.
   When you have that money emergency or just having a problem unblocking your account, you should always know you bank’s international service number so you can easily reach them.
4. Learn how to dial your home country from abroad.
   You may be dialing your bank back home so it is essential to know how.
   .
   5. Keep cash on hand
   You never know when it comes in handy – just in case your cards are lost or stolen it’s always good to have.
5. Check local ATM availability.
   Never assume that there is an abundance of ATMs where you’re headed. Remote destinations generally lack them. Also find out policies on withdrawal as local ATMs often charge withdrawal fees and foreign transaction fees.
6. Be ready for deposits and holds.
   When checking in to a hotel or picking up your rental car, you may face steep fees as deposits. With that said, this can limit your purchase power on using your credit card. Ask ahead of time.
7. Read your credit card’s policies on foreign transactions.
   Never assume that there aren’t fees for foreign transactions. Some credit card companies charge you an international fee because the purchase is made through a foreign bank. Always check before leaving for your trip.
8. Don’t use public Wi-Fi to take care of banking.
   While you don’t want to incur roaming charges, public Wi-Fi in airports, cafes, and parks may sound great, but they make you vulnerable to hackers as most of these networks are not really secure. Consider a VPN if you absolutely have to take care of banking via public Wi-Fi.
9. Consider where you stash your money.
   Keep your money in hard-to-reach places on your person so that it makes it quite challengers for thieves to steal. Ziploc the loot in your shoes, socks, underwear and consider distribution instead of storing it all in one place.