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Bon Voyage

Many of you are aware that I like to travel. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a few foreign countries and taking a handful of cruises, and I intend to do more in the not-to-distant future. Because you know me, you know I don’t finance these trips–I plan ahead and save for them. And if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you are also aware that I do use one credit card for which I earn flight miles, and I use this card on the trips where I see the world.

There is one thing about my credit card for which I am especially grateful–whenever there is suspicious activity on my account, I get a text notification. The credit card company recognizes that charges abroad MIGHT NOT BE LEGIT, and they send me a message. All I have to do is confirm that it is, in fact, me that made the peculiar purchase, and I’m good to go. If I did not make the purchase, I respond in kind, and my card is deactivated.

Note to self and others: one could avoid these potential interruptions if one calls credit card companies ahead of time and informs them of dates and destinations of travel, but I digress.

I would be surprised if there was any financial institution that has not implemented this type of program in some form or other. And I would be even further shocked if any patron of said financial institutions would turn down this kind of service. The only thing I can think of as to why that might be is that they are not aware that this feature exists.

Well, now you know.

Check with your bank to see exactly what they do have to offer. You might have to take a few minutes to opt in, but it’s well worth your time.

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