After all the time spent booking hotels, rental cars, and vacation activities, it can be easy to forget what financial items need to be taken care of before you leave for a trip. Here’s an easy travel checklist to follow for properly preparing your bank account and other affairs for the trip.
- Check your bank accounts.
This may seem obvious, but it’s important to know exactly how much money you have available so you don’t over-withdrawal from an ATM or with your debit card. Once you know what funds are available, you can properly budget during your trip for unexpected expenses.
- Sign up for online banking and/or a mobile banking app.
One of the easiest ways to keep access to your accounts are to utilize online and/or mobile banking. You can easily check your accounts from either a computer or your smartphone, and will be able to manage your money and check for fraudulent charges daily.
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- Make advance payments if necessary.
Are any bills due while you’re gone? If you don’t already use an online bill payment system to pay recurring payments automatically – be sure to make payments in advance to avoid any late fees. If you have one or more recurring monthly payments, use AmeriChoice’s online bill payment system to avoid this step entirely in the future!
- Place a hold on your mail.
If you don’t place a hold on your mail – it’s likely to be overflowing by the time you get back. Keep your mail secure by having the post office hold on to it until you know you are back in town. Use this quick and easy form to place a hold on your mail through the USPS.
- Notify your financial institution of your destination.
Financial institutions carefully monitor your accounts to keep them protected. If you use your card overseas, or even in a different state and have not notified your financial institution, they are likely to freeze your account to protect your funds from fraudulent charges. Give them a call before you leave so they know that it’s you using your card during your vacation.
- Know your security answers.
If you access your account through a different computer than normal, you may have to answer that security question you set up long ago. Make sure you’re prepared and know the answer. Also, many foreign ATMs only accept 4-digit numbers as pins, so change your pin, if need be, before you leave so you can use any foreign ATM.
- Find the nearest ATM.
Before you leave your reliable internet connection, research what in-network ATMs will be close by at your destination. This will save you time and money if you need to withdrawal local currency.
- Research your health coverage.
Many insurance companies do not provide the same coverage overseas. If your health or travel insurance is not adequate, you’ll need to find temporary travel health insurance before you leave the country to get the coverage you need.
- Have important phone numbers written down.
If you don’t have reliable internet access, it may be difficult to find the numbers of your bank, hotel or other important service. Write down important numbers before you leave, so in case of an emergency, you are properly prepared.
- Make copies of important documents.
While this is a worst case scenario, if any of your important documents are lost and stolen, it’s vital that you have a copy of that information if you need replacements. Photocopy your credit cards, passports, and other travel documents and keep the copies in your suitcase and with a friend or relative back home.
Now that you’ve prepared for your trip with this banking travel checklist, you can board your plane, relax, and properly enjoy your trip!
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