Want to Get Away? Read this First

Good advice from Fidelity Investments on travel security and peace of mind.

Keep these documents safe.

When embarking on vacation, take steps to keep these documents safe and accessible as you travel.

Health-related information. When traveling overseas, you may find yourself in situations where you need information about your current vaccinations. For instance, some countries in Central and South America, and also in Africa, require tourists to have a certificate showing they’ve had a yellow-fever vaccination. For both domestic and international travel, it’s also a good idea to bring a letter from your doctor for any medications you may need plus contact information for your doctor. You could lose a vital prescription, or, even for some over-the-counter drugs, the rules for getting medications in some foreign countries may be more strict, according to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department website.

Travel documents and personal identification. When traveling internationally, having your passport and other forms of identification, like a driver’s license, is essential. You may also need a visa, depending on the country you’re visiting. The State Department website linked above provides information on visa requirements.

Emergency contacts. If you’re on the road, it makes sense to have emergency contact information close at hand in case unexpected problems arise. For international trips, you may want to store addresses and phone numbers for the closest U.S. embassies or consulates.

Travel itineraries. Vacations often entail a lot of details—flight information, hotel reservations, rental car bookings, and sightseeing tour logistics. Organizing this information in one place can make traveling less stressful, and digital versions can be shared with others for their reference as well.

E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.