American Express makes money even if you do leave home without it. Best known for its charge cards and revolving credit cards, the company is also one of the world's largest providers of travel services. And yes, the company still issues traveler's checks. Its travel agency operations have thousands of locations worldwide, and its Travelers Cheque Group is the world's largest issuer of traveler's checks. Still, the company's charge and credit cards are its bread and butter; American Express boasts $161 billion in assets, $1 trillion in annual billed business, and has about 118 million cards in circulation in 140-plus countries worldwide.