However one thing Jesse stresses are that reviews should not be the only source potential policyholders should base their judgements on. What important is that you have also checked out the insurer’s website to see if the coverage they offer are essential to the type of trip you are heading to.

Medical Expenses
Regardless of where you are heading, but more particular if you are travelling overseas, you should always make sure the medical expenses that you can claim on your policy is unlimited. This is because the whole point of being insured is to make sure your life and health are kept safe, and the only way you can make sure this is the case is by assuming the worst scenario and still getting help for it.

Cancellation Costs
Another cover that you would always want to make sure you get unlimited benefits is cancellation costs. Many times travellers tend to put all their faith into their travel agents in belief their accommodations and journeys will be taken care of. But cancellation can happen, either due to some uncontrollable circumstances like bad weather or even a riot. At times like this you want to make sure that you will be able to get some sort of financial aid to help you make new arrangements or even get a refund.

Luggage and Personal Effects
There is no doubt that throughout at least one of your trips that you will lose something important. The airport may have misplaced your belongings or you may have accidentally dropped your passport somewhere and can’t find it. For claims like this, though many insurers don’t offer unlimited protection, it is up to you to find a limit that is to a degree high enough for you. A standard for a single person traveller would be around $10,000.

For more insurance trips and reviews, make sure you check out InsuranceOnus.com.au.

If your Traveler’s Cheques are lost of stolen, don’t worry. They can be replaced just about anywhere in the world, including Australia. You can receive your replacement Cheques within 24 hours. You must call the Travellers Cheque Service Centre immediately. They will be able to help you determine the best way for you to get your replacement.
Protect Your Travellers Cheques

1. As soon as you receive your Travellers Cheques, sign them immediately. Sign, using your usual, normal signature, in the upper left hand corner of the Cheque. Do not use erasable ink or pencil.
2. Do not sign it again until you are cashing it. This should be done when are you are in front of the agent who will be accepting it.

Record Your Travellers Cheques Serial Numbers

• As soon as you receive your Travellers Cheques, after signing them, the most important thing you must do is record the serial numbers of each and every Cheque.
• You will need these serial numbers if you need to report the Cheques lost or stolen. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• Keep the recorded serial numbers in a safe place. Make sure they are safely stored, in a separate place from your Travellers Cheques. Once again, do not keep your serial numbers in the same place as the your Cheques.

Benefits of Travellers Cheques

Safer Than Cash
One of the greatest benefits of Travellers Cheques are that they are very safe. Because each serial number is recorded by the issuer, they are very easy to track. As long as you know the serial numbers of your lost or stolen Cheques, your local Travellers Cheque Service Centre will have no problem assisting you with filing a claim. Your Cheques can be replaced within 24 hours. This makes them much safer to use than cash.

Lost or stolen travellers cheques can be replaced within 24 hours

Simple to Use
Travellers Cheques are so simple to use. Once you sign your Cheques and record the serial numbers, you are ready to spend and shop. When you’re ready to spend them, just sign your signature in the lower left hand corner, and date the Cheque. Be sure to do this in the presence of the person accepting it from you.

Accepted Worldwide
Travellers Cheques are accepted worldwide. Participating locations include thousands of shops, restaurants, hotels, stores, etc… You can also use them at Travelex and  American Express Foreign Exchange locations. They are available in 4 different currencies:

1. Euros
2. Pounds
3. US Dollars
4. AU Dollars

No Expiration Dates
Travellers Cheques do not have expiration dates. Yes, that’s right! They do not expire… ever. That means you can save all your unused Cheques and use them on your next vacation. Have some left over from your last vacation? Since they don’t expire, you can give them away as gifts. Your loved ones will love a present they can use anytime, that’s safe and secure for their next trip.

Cashing Your Travellers Cheques

• Cashing your Cheques is as simple as signing your signature and dating it. That’s all it takes. Ask your retailer if they accept them. If they do, start shopping!
• If at anytime, your encashment location won’t accept your Travellers Cheques, you should contact Travellers Cheques Customer Service Centre for assistance. It is the policy of American Express that your Cheques be honored at all encashment locations.

Get Your Lost or Stolen Travellers Cheques Replaced
Be sure to read the terms and conditions of your Travellers Cheques. This will help you understand the rules and regulations better. Also, do not forget to sign your Cheques immediately upon receipt. This will be very helpful if they are lost or stolen, as the second signature must match the first one. Be sure to protect your Cheques by recording every serial number. You will need to give these serial numbers to the Travellers Cheques Customer Service Centre to report them lost or stolen. Your replacement Travellers Cheques should be available to you within 24 hours.

What to do if your lose your American Express Travellers Cheques

1. Do You Have your serial numbers at hand?
You’ll need to have the serial numbers of your Travellers Cheques when you call us. We always recommend that you keep your original purchase receipt recording your serial numbers with you when you travel. But remember to keep it separate from your Cheques at all times.

2. Have You Called Us?
You’ll need to notify American Express about the loss or theft of your Travellers Cheques as soon as possible. To find the correct number to call from where you are, simply use the search tool on the right. The phone number to call from the UK is 0800 587 6023. We’re here to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

3. Can You Collect your Refund?
You can pick up your refund at any American Express Travel Services Office and thousands of partner locations worldwide. Just tell us what suits you.

4. Or fax us
Please allow approximately 3 weeks for the replacements of your lost or stolen travellers cheques.

Traveller’s cheques have always been a great alternative to taking cash with you on your travel, and available at participating Banks, Australia Post outlets and American Express foreign exchange offices, they are very easy to obtain. What is even better is that in the event of lost travellers cheques, within just twenty four hours you can have your money with you again.

When you plan to travel outside of Australia, instead of carrying around cash or being charged each time you use an ATM in a foreign country, cheques are the logical solution. You can order your cheques in Australian dollars, or alternatively in US dollars or even Euros.

Lost travellers cheques can and are being replaced everyday.

In the event of stolen or lost travellers cheques – When you purchase your travellers cheques, make sure that you write down the serial number of each individual cheque as well as signing them; in the case of lost travellers cheques it is extremely important that you have this information at hand. Keep a note of the serial numbers in a separate place, or even leave them at home with a family member before you leave Australia.

Cheques are such a great way of adding freedom to your travels, and you can pay for many services with them these days and you are not just limited to cashing them in at a local bank. But of course, when you travel, especially abroad, there is always the possibility that you may become the victim of a theft and left with stolen or lost travellers cheques.

The great news is that the process for reimbursing your lost travellers cheques could not be any simpler, and by contacting your customer service center immediately, you will be given step by step instructions on how to reimburse them. As long as you have kept the vital serial numbers written down in a separate location, you should not have to wait more the twenty four hours for your new cheques to be dispatched to your nearest American Express agent, no matter where in the world you may be at the time.

 … even better is that in the event of stolen or lost travellers cheques, within just twenty four hours.

We are all quite vulnerable when we travel because it usually means venturing out of our comfort-zones, and travel insurance is the only way to shield ourselves against monetary losses when things do go wrong. So here are some very useful tips to ensure you buy the right travel insurance that will protect you against such expected financial losses.
The most important thing to remember with travel insurance is that you are effectively buying an agreement, so always READ THE FINE PRINT, especially the exclusions at a coverage level and the general exclusions. They are written in legal jargon, so be sure to seek clarification on anything that you don’t understand.

All Travel Insurance companies are classified as financial institutions and are consequently regulated by the government organizations like the Financial Services Authority in the UK. So be sure to check this.

Check your travel insurance gives the kids 100% cover

One of the major risks is trip cancellation, so ensure you buy the travel insurance as soon as your trip is confirmed, even if you are not traveling for months. It’s not going to cost you anymore and your cover kicks in as soon as you purchase the trip insurance.

Always check the deductibles! A deductible, also known as excess, is what the insurance company deducts before payout on claims. For e.g. if you put in a travel medical claim of $300 and the deductible is $150, you’ll only get $150.

Be wary of companies offering cheap travel insurance premiums, more often than not they have very high deductibles.

Check the payout for children because some insurance companies only pay half the payout for children, which is ridiculous because the trip costs for a child is almost the same as for adults.

You need to count the start day and the end day of your trip when buying travel insurance. E.g. if you are departing on 05-April and arriving back on 10-April, your need cover for 6 days and not 5 days!

Don’t get taken in by the high coverages like 10 million medical cover, its highly unlikely that you’ll need that. Stay focused on the actual cover you feel need. For instance, if you are traveling with expensive business equipment, then you need to ensure that is covered adequately.

Check the payout ceiling because insurance companies tend to have a limitation on the maximum payout. For instance payout for personal belongings could be $5000, but the maximum payout per item may only be $1000. So that may not be adequate to cover your expensive golf clubs. Most insurance companies will list the payouts clearly, if they don’t, avoid them.

If you are are frequent traveler you may want to consider taking an annual multi-trip travel insurance because it can save you time and money. Some insurance companies even throw in free extras like ski cover. Travel Insurance