You made your travel budget, saved your money, and made your reservations. You’re ready to set off on your next great adventure. But have you prepared your home finances to continue worry-free while you’re gone? Do you have all the information you need to manage your travel budget while you’re away? Here’s a checklist you can use to be sure you are prepared.

Banking Essentials 

• Pay upcoming bills. While you’re on vacation, you want to relax and not worry about anything. Even if your bills are due the day you get back, it is best to pay them before you leave or set up automatic payments. You may be tired when you come home, and it could take some time to get unpacked and reacclimated to home life. In the interim, you don’t want to miss a payment.
• Notify your credit card company. Nothing is worse than attempting to use your credit card while on vacation and having it denied. Credit card companies take security very seriously, so a charge on your card from a place where you’ve never been before could trigger the credit card’s fraud system. To make sure credit card transactions are seamless in any location, contact your credit card company before you leave home and tell them about your plans to travel. Using your CommonWealth card on vacation? Use the CardControl app to add travel alerts and other card monitoring alerts.
• Set up alerts on your accounts. Account alerts are especially helpful while you are traveling. They can notify you of potentially fraudulent activity or even if your balance falls below a certain amount. Make the best use of these digital notices to give you piece of mind about your finances while you are on vacation. To learn how to set up alerts on your account, click here.

• Look into travel insurance. Trip delays, medical emergencies, and baggage mishaps happen. They don’t have to ruin your trip or cost you a lot of money when you’re covered by travel insurance. Start by investigating the travel insurance offered by your credit card, then decide if you want to add additional coverage. Insurance is relatively cheap to purchase but it can save you a lot of money if something goes wrong with your trip.
• Review your health insurance coverage. It is always good to know the best way to deal with health emergencies while you are traveling. Most health insurance policies charge more for doctor visits out of network when you are away from your home and may not cover you outside the U.S. at all. You may find that telemedicine or urgent care are more economical options. Check with your insurance company and find out what to do if you need medical attention while you are on vacation.