Money Monday: Traveling This Summer? Protect Your Finances!

It's June and that means SUMMER! If you've got plans to travel over the next few months, we hope that the preparation and the journey go as smoothly as possible. One pro tip to ensure that happens on the finance front? Let your financial institution know if you'll be leaving the state.

For your protection, financial institutions and the credit and debit card systems associated with them keep track of your spending history and patterns. If you're not a frequent traveler and a transaction happens far from home, those systems might immediately flag and freeze your account - to prevent further suspicious activity.

It doesn't take a lot of time to give your financial institution a call or drop into a branch and let them know your travel plans so they can mark your account with the details.

From there, you can rest assured that you won't be stuck in paradise without access to your funds! So, add that to your list of to-do's pre-departure, and once it's crossed off, enjoy your vacation. Here's to the happiest of travels, readers!