Vacation safety, business owners, working women

Tourists are prime targets for identity thieves, said Lyn Chitow Oakes of TrustedID, which provides theft-protection services.

"People can identify you as being out of town," Oakes said.

Some advice:

_ Use a credit card to pay for most purchases, and carry small amounts of cash. Travelers' checks can be forged or lost, while personal checks carry your bank number. Debit cards are tied to your bank account. Leave checkbooks and debit cards at home. Use one credit card while on vacation to limit exposure to thieves.

_ Empty your wallet. Leave unnecessary personal information at home, including Social Security cards, insurance cards, bills and prescription information. If you need to carry such documents, bring photocopies. Keep photocopies and passports locked in your hotel room safe.

_ Make sure nobody's standing next to you when you're using a computer or ATM. "When you're in an open environment plugging in passwords, people are looking for the information you're putting in, collecting that information and selling it online," Oakes said. Put your hand over the screen, drape something over a monitor or ask a family member or trusted friend to shield you.

_ If your passport is stolen, call the U.S. embassy in that country. If it is your driver's license, contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. Place fraud alerts with credit-scoring agencies if someone's gotten your Social Security number. Close lost or stolen financial accounts.

SMALL BUSINESSES GRIN AND BEAR IT: Working for yourself is riskier than working for a large company, and you're constantly chasing new customers. The job is even harder when the economy is turning sour.

Discover Financial Services' monthly Small Business Watch reported that small business owners' economic confidence dropped to 71.8 in June, from 81.8 last month. It is the lowest number since the survey started nearly two years ago.