15 ways to protect your money on vacation
By Lucy Lazarony • Bankrate.com

Don't let a fraudster, pickpocket or identity thief ruin your next vacation.

These 15 financial safety tips will show you how to protect your wallet, your valuables and your financial information when vacationing in America and abroad.

Lighten up your wallet. Only carry the credit cards you'll be using on your trip and leave the rest at home. Pack an ATM/debit card for withdrawing cash at ATMs.

Remove any card with your Social Security number. For health insurance cards, the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization focused on identity theft prevention, suggests making a copy of the card and removing the last four digits of your Social Security number. Bring the photocopy with you on your trip and leave the original card at home.

Leave your checkbook at home.

"Limit what documents you are going to carry with you," says Linda Foley, co-founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center. "Clean out your wallet and purse before you take that trip." 

Use credit cards for major purchases. Most credit cards have zero-liability policies, meaning you won't pay a penny for unauthorized charges if a card is lost or stolen.

The Fair Credit Billing Act specifies that your maximum liability for unauthorized credit card charges is $50. So that's the most you'll end up paying if a thief should get a hold of your credit card.

"If you're worrying about safety, I don't think you can go wrong with credit cards," says Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com.

The sooner you alert a credit card company of a lost or stolen card, the better. So bring contact information for each of your credit cards with you on the trip.

You also can alert your credit card company if you're unsatisfied with the quality of a purchase that you make with your card or if a credit card purchase gets lost or stolen.

Brice Gosnell, regional publisher for Lonely Planet, bought a pair of sunglasses with a credit card while traveling in Italy. When a thief nabbed the sunglasses, all Gosnell had to do was make a quick phone call to his card company, and the money for the stolen sunglasses was refunded to his account.

"Using a credit card is just a smarter best bet," Gosnell says.

Pack a backup credit card. It's best to travel with a backup credit card or two. That way, if a card gets lost or stolen, you'll have another card you can use for major purchases such as hotel rooms and rental cars. And you can continue with your vacation without a hitch.

"Absolutely bring at least two credit cards," Banas says. "Definitely have at least one backup."

Keep your backup cards secure in the hotel safe so they'll be there if you should need them.