QUICK TIP: What to do if your travel company goes out of business while you're on a trip

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- How do you protect yourself when your travel provider goes out of business? Michael Finney has another 7 On Your Side Quick Tip for you!

It happens every year: we see travelers get stranded all over the world because the company that was supposed to fly them home went out of business.

The easiest way to protect yourself before even leaving home is to use a credit card when you're booking your trip. There are two reasons for this: if you don't get what you paid for, you can file a complaint and potentially get your money back. Also, many credit cards offer at least some travel insurance along with all that small print that you see in your contract. You may get all your money back, or at least a portion of it.

Finally, you need to start thinking about actually buying trip insurance. That way, if something like this happens, you get home safely and you don't lose any money at all. It's an extra expense, and none of us want to pay it, but like any insurance... sometimes you just need to buy it.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.