Traveling Internationally With Kids: A Travel Pro's Checklist
Few things beat watching your children discover the world, though getting there tests any parent. After years of planning family trips abroad, here is what I make sure travelers handle before they fly:
- Confirm each passport has six months' validity beyond your dates, and note children's passports expire in five years, not ten.
- Enroll in TSA PreCheck, where kids under 12 come through with you, and use the free Mobile Passport app to speed home through U.S. customs.
- Shift bedtimes toward your destination's time zone early to soften jet lag.
- If a child travels with just one parent or another adult, carry a notarized consent letter from the parent staying home, since some borders ask for it.
- Arrange a private guide or driver so you can soak up the sights instead of wrestling with maps, parking, and unfamiliar roads.
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Tips on Debt Smart College Planning:
Contribute to a payroll college fund such as a 529 Plan. In Connecticut there is a tax incentive for such contributions.
Create a custodial account for your child. While the money benefits the child, parents manage the investments until the child becomes an adult.
Consider community college. They are typically much less expensive than a traditional 4-year college and you can transfer to another college or university after a few semesters or a year or two.
Apply for scholarships. Many scholarships are available in communities and students and parents should apply for as many as possible.
Create a college budget. Figure out early how much you can contribute to your child's future education.
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The opinions expressed in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial professional prior to investing.