How to use your travel money card

Purchasing your card

You can purchase a Travel Money Card at any Commonwealth Bank branch or via NetBank (if you are registered). There are no age restrictions and you don’t even have to be a Commonwealth Bank customer. All you need to do is satisfy the customer identification check required for opening a bank account.

If you purchase your Travel Money Card in NetBank, your card will be sent to you via mail within five business days (delivery may take longer outside metropolitan areas). If you provide your mobile number to us you will receive an SMS alert advising when your card is on its way. Upon receipt, you will need to activate and set up a PIN for your card.

Money Safety Tips for Travelers

That little girl who came up to you in Rome looked so innocent -- until you realized that she was just distracting you while her father picked your pocket! Unfortunately, this type of petty crime is all too common around the world, especially in popular tourist areas. Whether they're fumbling through guidebooks or gawking at new sights, tourists are often unaware of their surroundings, making them easy prey for thieves. Luckily, a little bit of common sense and preparation can go a long way toward keeping this from happening to you.

Where to Keep Your Valuables

The most important rule of the road is to make sure you keep your money, credit and debit cards, and passport in a money pouch all times while you're in transit. We don't recommend carrying anything valuable in a purse, which is too easily snatched, or a backpack, which can be opened without your noticing. Even a wallet kept in your front pocket can be taken by an experienced pickpocket.

How to Fill Out a Money Order

Money orders are safer than checks, for purchaser and recipient. Since a money order is prepaid, it can't “bounce” or overdraw the purchaser’s bank account. Money orders can be cashed all over and are handy for those without bank accounts. Filling one out can be tricky, especially if you rarely do it. Here's how!

1. Start by buying a money order for the desired amount. Make sure that the amount you paid and the amount printed on the money order are the same.

2. Immediately write the name of the person or company whom you wish to pay. Write your account number with the company to which you are sending the money order, or include any other important identifying information on this line if there is no other line designated for this information.

11 Practical Ways to Spend Your Money

I know, I know.  Saving and investing your money for the future is one of the most practical things you can do.  This is solid advice, but when you do decide to spend your hard earned money it should be spent on something practical, useful, and meaningful to the wellbeing of your existence.  So many people either save their money or blow it on worthless crap.  Here are 11 practical ways to spend your money on something useful:

1. Travel to See the Significant People in Your Life – There may be no better way to spend your money than to use it to nurture and rekindle personal relationships with the most significant people in your life.  As time quickly passes, we sometimes forget how essential strong personal relationships are to our mental wellbeing.  The older we get the more we need true friends and family to be regular parts of our lives.

How to Trade in Stocks Online

Trading in stocks online is not like shopping at your local major retailer, where prices are set. Because investments are priced in real time through active bidding between buyers and sellers, there are techniques to buying and selling. When dealing with investments, you have five main ways to buy or sell them online:

• Market orders: This is the most common type of order. You tell your broker to sell your shares at the best price or to buy shares at the current price. Because these orders are executed almost immediately and are straightforward, they typically have the lowest commissions.