Travel Tip: Check the Expiration Date on Your Passport

More and more countries are insisting that visitors' passports have at least a six-month shelf-life. And they won't let you in if your passport expires sooner than that. So before your next international trip, make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your return date.

For information about renewing your passport, visit the U.S. State Department website (travel.state.gov/passport_renewal.html). Or check out these two online companies that will get you a speedy renewal for a fee: passportvisaexpress.com and passportplus.net.