Debit Cards are Best Travel Companions

Thursday April 20, 2006

Debit cards are easy to cancel if lost or stolen while you're traveling, keeping your money safe, but overseas usage fees, though not nearly as high as fees associated with credit cards, can add up.

A Kiplinger Personal Finance article today points out that Citibank has branches in 38 countries and HSBC is in 69 countries; both banks offer free ATM access -- worth looking into when choosing a debit card company. And if you'll be living or studying abroad, personal finance expert Janet Bowdon says you may want to open an account at an overseas bank with a US affiliate -- makes it easy for parents to access your account locally if need be.

^{Kiplinger Personal Finance}