Do you travel, for fun or business? Or are you planning to?

Here are some tips from Pacific Cascade's Administrative Services Department to help you have smooth sailing financially. On another note, if you will be traveling for an extensive time, consider having us
set up automatic bill pay for your regular bills or have your statements held at the Credit Union until your return. You'll know where they are when you get back, and you reduce your risk of mail fraud.

Using Your Visa Credit Card/Debit Card While Traveling

You should have no problem using your Visa Credit Card or Debit Card wherever Visa is accepted. You can use them in ATMs, at stores and businesses, and you can also get a cash advance at a bank or credit union. Please note, though, that it is a very good idea to let the Credit Union know if you will be traveling abroad. We can work with the VISA network to make sure that your card works smoothly and dependably in the area where you are heading! Advice on ATMs Abroad: ATMs have pretty much replaced traveler's checks as the primary source of currency for many travelers, both in the U.S. and overseas. Machines affiliated with one of the two major card systems, Mastercard's Cirrus and Visa's Plus, have been sited at airports and street corners around the world. Both have Web sites that list locations worldwide.

In addition to making foreign cash easy and convenient to obtain, ATMs provide the best exchange rates. At least that's the theory. Reality can be an little different.While both Cirrus and Plus advertise the universality of their cards, actual machine operation and regulations vary from country to country and bank to bank. For example, machines in countries such as England only allow access to checking accounts. Cash in a savings account will be unavailable, with no transfers possible. Daily withdrawals may also be limited to fixed amounts determined both by the credit union and the bank that operates the machine; systems may also have weekly limits to how much cash a cardholder can get. The cost of that cash can also vary. While the exchange rates are good, many banks charge fixed fees of up to $3 per transaction.And of course, cards can be lost or stolen, and local computer systems can crash just when you need cash. The bottom line? ATMs do make it easier and cheaper to get cash anywhere, but you can't be sure until you get there. That's why wise travelers always have other cash options available whenever and wherever they go.For worldwide locations of Mastercard/Cirrus ATMs visit this link at Mastercard.

For Visa/Plus locations, http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/ For Domestic ATM locations, enter a street address or an intersection anywhere in the US, and the system displays the locations of the three nearest ATMs. Overseas locations: using a menu of 10 regions of the world plus a country index, airport ATMs, and a world map, click on any
of the regions to call up a page with a list of countries in that region, including the names of banks and number of ATMs in each country that accept Visa cards and Plus ATM cards. Note that ATM machines abroad only use numerals, so make sure you know the numeric equivalent of your four-letter PIN. What to do if your credit card is stolen during your travels? Contact Us! If possible, call the credit union, and let us know,
at 1-800-477-3328.

Do you have a young driver in your family?

Sure, teenagers think they know everything. But maybe you can sneak a few of these foul-weather driving tips by them.