I get the downsides of using a VPN, but when traveling, there are at least a few reasons to always use a VPN:
1. From a reputable provider (like NordVPN), your connection will be more secure than the run of the mill hotel/airport WiFi. In fact, if you don't use a VPN, you're taking on added risk.
2. Some of your work (like stock trading, etc.), probably requires an IP address in your home country. This is not uniformly the case, but I do know of at least a couple of brokers I use that will not let me access my account from a foreign IP address.
3. If you're traveling in a country that's known to snoop internet traffic (and we all know at least a few of them), you should use a VPN. In fact, if you're traveling on business to some of these countries, your company SHOULD mandate the use of a VPN. The risk to IP loss/theft is real and several companies have suffered because of this.

It is annoying that FT is blocking me from accessing it using a US IP on NordVPN. I changed to a Canadian IP and can access it (as I'm doing now).