Summertime means travel time! With the kids out of school and the weather warming up, it’s the perfect opportunity to get away, spend time with family, and switch up your routine.
As you’re making your plans and catching flights, don’t forget to add protecting your finances to your travel checklist.
Not sure how to get started? Make your summer stress-free and travel easy with these Spectra Lab-Certified tips.
Create a Travel Budget
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to plan out your vacation expenses. This goes beyond the basics—like hotels, meals, flights, and activities. Be sure to research additional costs, such as international charges, parking fees, and transportation costs.
Expert Tip: A great way to plan for the unexpected is to budget the maximum amount you’re willing to spend on each category. That way, you can enjoy your vacation with a built-in financial buffer.
Send Your Travel Plans to Your Financial Institution
Traveling to a foreign country can be exciting and fun—that is, until your account is flagged for fraud. Send your travel plans—including departure and return dates, and the countries you plan to visit—to Spectra and your other financial institutions to avoid any pesky pauses on your cards.
Expert Tip: Ask about foreign transaction or ATM fees so you can stay on top of international expenses.
Be Cautious Using Public Wi-Fi
International data usage can get pricy, and a great way to avoid extra costs is to use public Wi-Fi. But not everyone plugged in has the best intentions. Public Wi-Fi is the perfect place for hackers to steal your personal information. Do your best to avoid logging into your financial accounts or making sensitive transactions on public networks.
Purchase Travel Insurance
It’s easy to spend a lot of money on a vacation, and then balk at the idea of spending more on insurance or travel protection. But you shouldn’t overlook it! Investing in refunds for trip or excursion cancellations, lost baggage, or flight delays can give you peace of mind in the long run.
Expert Tip: Check whether your airline or booking site(s) offer coverage to keep you on track for a stress-free vacation.
Your summer vacation should give you the chance to unplug, relax, and recharge, not stress over fees adding up, hackers getting your data, and losing money on cancellations. Stay one step ahead and enjoy your travels!
Want to know more ways to stay protected this summer? Check out our Educational Resources for tips on how to stay safe this season—and every season!
