If you venture abroad this summer, follow these tips from Susan Stellin, author of
How to Travel Practically Anywhere (Houghton Mifflin, $16,
www.amazon.com): Register with the State Department (
travelregistration.state.gov). Check the expiration on your passport
(some countries won’t let you in if it is due
to expire in the next six months). Call your credit-card issuer to advise it not to put a hold on your account due to “unusual” spending. And consider getting travel insurance if your health insurance won’t cover
you outside the United States.