Your summer travel plans may look nice and that jump off the cliff into the Caribbean Sea is nothing short of amazing. With everything happening in the world today, when was the last time you updated your Estate Plan and reviewed your insurance policies…before jetting off?  

The recent deaths abroad prayerfully may be coincidental and not a growing trend, however; your Estate Plan may not offer you the protection you expect if it is outdated and there may be exemptions in your insurance policy for certain countries and activities. While you may not change your travel plans or alter your activities, it is good to understand your coverage and have everything updated before you go. You should also be aware of your health insurance coverage if traveling abroad. 

Sure, nobody books a vacation expecting to have an accident, let alone die, but life happens to us all so we should be prepared. One of the worst conversations to have with a family that was relying on a loved ones’ insurance policy to get them through an unexpected death or accident is that their claim was denied due to an exemption. To be clear, certain countries and activities may not be covered by your insurance.

 So before you go:

1.    Check for any travel warnings with the U.S. Department of State https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

2.    Register your trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program: https://step.state.gov/STEP/Pages/Common/Citizenship.aspx

3.    Locate the nearest medical facility to your hotel.

4.    Review your health insurance coverage and fill all prescriptions.

5.    Share your itinerary with your loved ones.

6.    Review your insurance policies to determine whether there are any activities and/or country exemptions.

7.    Update your estate plan if needed.

8.    Leave an estate road map, including important personal and financial information and documents that is easily accessible for your loved ones.

 Lastly, have fun. Travel is meant to be enjoyed!