Headed out for spring break? Take 10 minutes to travel more safely, financially:

1. Take only the credit cards you need – leave the rest locked at home.
2. Leave your Social Security card at home – people pay a lot for these on the black market.
3. Make a quick record of what’s in your wallet, including account numbers – just in case your wallet goes missing.
4. Bring your health insurance card.
5. Use your hotel safe for valuable documents.
6. Send a copy of your itinerary to a friend.
7. Notify your credit card company if you are going somewhere unusual.
8. List only your first name, cell phone number and email address on your luggage tags.

   

Valrie Chambers, Ph.D., professor of accounting, and Betty Thorne, Ph.D., professor of statistics and the Christian R. Lindback Chair of Business Administration, write Financial Fridays to bolster students’ financial wellness including preventing financial mistakes, safeguarding their assets and identity, and thinking critically about financial decisions. For questions, contact Valrie Chambers at [email protected].