Have Valuables to Keep Secure? Here Are 5 Home Safe Options

Safes are a great way to keep your valuables tucked away, but did you know there are several different types to choose from? Overall, a safe should be a secure box that you must open with a special key or code, but you may have more use for one type of safe than another. Here are the ones you can choose from.

Fire-Resistant Safes

Fire-resistant safes resist flames enough to keep your valuables safe. Although they would be damaged in a fire, the safe and its contents will not burn completely unless you experience a fire burning at over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows them to keep your valuables, money, or important documents safe and intact.

Diversion Safes

These safes are unique in that they look like a regular pieces of furniture or home decor, but they have a hidden compartment that is actually a safe. 

They act as a decoy to make anyone who may break into your home think there are no valuables around. People often place diversion safes in a bookcase that has a special lever on the side. 

The safe can be accessed using a unique code and opens to reveal any special belongings you want to hide from burglars.

Under-Bed Safes

Like diversion safes, under-bed safes can also be fairly well hidden. You typically need to lift up your bed frame to access them as they have a special lock underneath it.

Gun Safes

Gun safes not only offer protection from a burglar stealing your belongings, they also stop your kids from accessing your firearms. 

Liberty safes have thick padding to help prevent unwanted access to your guns. They can typically be placed either horizontally or vertically, depending on the size of your guns and the space you have to store them.

Burglar-Resistant Safes

These safes are built to be incredibly sturdy to prevent burglars from breaking into them. They cannot be forced open with a hammer, crowbar, or even an electric drill. 

While these safes can keep burglars out of your valuables, they are not fireproof, so you might not want to keep any important documents that cannot be re-created in them.

Safes are a great way to keep your belongings secure in the event of a robbery or a fire. There are a number of different safes to choose from, so be sure to weigh your options and pick the one that is best for you.

Simple, Budget-Friendly Ways to Make Your Dumb House Smart

Smart home technology was once a sci-fi concept, then a novelty and now a must-have for today's homeowners. According to reporting from CNBC, 2017 is poised to be the year of the smart home. 

Consumers are expected to race to figure out how to update their homes with everything from climate control Nest thermostats to smart appliances that tell you when you're out of milk and eggs. 

But with options including Samsung's Family Hub refrigerator retailing at $5,999, homeowners can feel squeezed out of the smart home market.

Although you can purchase top-of-the-line smart home appliances and fully outfitted homes, you can also pick up gadgets for less than $100 that add convenience and smart connectivity to your home. 

Here are five simple, budget-friendly ways to make your dumb house smart.

Install a smart security system

An ABC news affiliate sent letters to 86 inmates serving time for burglary to find out what could keep homes safe. Most of the intruders said they would immediately leave if an alarm system went off, and that cameras were a big deterrent.

Fortunately, it's not difficult to do some smart updates to your home security, including installing home security cameras. Lorex cameras, for instance, help monitor your home whether you’re at home or work. 

They're also an ideal choice if you have high ceilings or tucked-away spots where you want to install your cameras at a greater height or distance from your digital video recorder without unsightly or expensive cabling.

Get smart lighting

Smart lightbulbs have hit the mainstream and are an inexpensive way to dive into the connected marketplace. A Philips Hue starter kit wirelessly connects to the Hue Bridge for remote-controlled lighting that can set the ambiance and color palette of your home. 

You can even create an inspired landscape from a photo of your favorite vacation. For homeowners with big connectivity plans, the LIFX Wi-Fi smart LED light bulb adds color while integrating with the Nest, SmartThings products and Alexa voice control.

Use a smart switch

Add some convenience and efficiency to your home at the same time with the Belkin WeMo Insight Switch. According to the Department of Energy's Berkeley Lab, roughly 50 devices and appliances in an American household are always on and draining power. 

Belkin removes the sense of urgency of worrying whether or not you turned off the lights. Users can manage their power consumption and turn appliances off and on remotely and slash their electric bill.

Find a smart assistant

Now you can finally afford that personal assistant you've always wanted. But instead of hiring a human, you can just use Amazon's Echo Dot and stick to a smart budget. Like its big sister the Echo, Alexa can answer your questions ranging from the weather to the best place to grab dinner tonight. 

You can also ask your Dot to play music and keep track of what's going on with your Fitbit or arrange for an Uber. It keeps your hands free while you run your household and focus on more important things.

Stay safe with a smart smoke detector

Everyone wants their smoke detector to be as smart and alert as possible to avoid a catastrophe. But instead of investing in expensive devices, you can pick-up Roost, a Wi-Fi-enabled 9V battery, and use its app to turn your old smoke detector into something smarter. 

You get notifications to your smartphone if the alarm is triggered while you're away, and let you know when your battery is almost out.

Adding some smart updates to your home can keep you connected, increase the safety to your home and add convenience to your life. And it can all be done without a $5,999 refrigerator to keep your leftovers fresh for tomorrow.

The 4 Easiest Ways for Burglars to Get Into Your Home

Your worst nightmare is having your home broken into. It’s an invasion of privacy and can make you feel like nothing in your life is safe and that everything is falling apart. These feelings are incredibly valid.

Everyone always feels like it won’t ever happen to them. It’s an invincibility complex like bad things can’t happen to you, whether it’s a car accident, the death of a loved one, or someone breaking into your home.

That sort of invasion of privacy shakes your entire world. Because of this fear, you can never be too safe or careful when protecting yourself from having your home broken into.

Carelessness that comes from time

Of course, there are the obvious things you can do to keep intruders out of your home: lock your doors whether you’re home or not, install a security system in your home, and be wary of who you welcome into your home.

These are easy ways to make you feel more comfortable at home. It’s surprising how many people forget these simple things, though. Again, you never think it could happen to you, so you get a little bit too comfortable in your environment.

When you move into a new area, you won’t dream of leaving without locking your door. But after a while, if you forget to lock your door upon leaving, you figure that it isn’t a big deal, you know all of your neighbors at this point, and you trust them. This is a mistake. You should never let your guard down like this.

Insecure garage doors

One of the most common ways for someone to break into your home is through your garage. A garage door company in King of Prussia can ensure your garage door is working properly. Additionally, make sure your garage door is closed. Even if you’re just home for a quick lunch and will leave less than an hour later.

While it’s not very likely that during that hour, someone will break in, it gives potential thieves a chance to case it out and figure out the easiest way to get in and what they’d like to steal.

Don’t leave your garage door opener in a visible spot in your car. Many people leave theirs on the visor in their car. However, if it’s visible, someone could break into your car and steal it, take a photo of the address on your vehicle registration, and then break into your home while you’re away.

To avoid this, leave the remote in your console or another concealed place in your car.

The back yard and back door

Your backyard is another way that thieves will get in. You’re less likely to keep your back door locked than the front door, and thieves know this.

So not only do you need to make sure you keep people out of your home but also your backyard. When you’re getting a fence installed, ensure it’s tall enough that it cannot be easily jumped over, as long as your city regulations allow a fence at least six feet tall.

And always make sure that the gate to your fence has a lock on it on the inside, so it can’t be picked by passersby. And, of course, keep your back door locked at all times.

Doggy doors and hidden keys

A lot of people keep keys hidden outside their house in case they lock themselves out of the house. This seems like a harmless idea. If you tend to lock yourself out of your house often, then you obviously want to be able to get back in easily without having to call a locksmith.

When trying to break into your home, however, this is one of the first things a thief will look for. Never leave your key in a fake rock, under the mat, in a potted plant, or any other obvious places.

Another way to gain easy access to your home is through a doggy door. Make sure that your doggy door is far enough from the lock that it cannot be unlocked by reaching through the doggy door from the outside.

At night, ensure your doggy door is locked so no one can access it. Also, ensure that the door is too small for anyone to fit through. If you have a large breed dog, a doggy door may not be safe.

Reducing Your Spending On Loss: 5 Tips For Protecting Your Assets

We grow up accustomed to the fact that we're going to deal with some loss along the way. We've all dropped a great dessert, or maybe even had someone steal something we liked. But when it comes to our financial standing, there are some things we can do to protect ourselves from loss. Whatever your financial status may be, you can use some of the following five tips to protect your assets.

Invest in proper insurance

If you are the proud owner of a business, it is imperative that you have liability insurance to shield your pockets. A sudden accident on the work site or another unfortunate incident could leave an unprotected business owner stripped of their assets in a lawsuit. Homeowner’s insurance is a great advantage in case of a natural disaster, and auto insurance is a must-have for your vehicle.

Keep an eye on your bank accounts

Monitor your bank account on a regular basis, and be sure to report any suspicious activity as soon as your recognize it. If you are in a business partnership, make sure to formalize the union to protect your assets in case of disaster. Remember that anything that your business partner does, you are considered responsible for as well. Simplify joint accounts wherever possible to ensure that anyone with open access to your financial assets does not abuse the privilege.

Use a quality home security system

Your home is a place where your valuable property should be safe. However, many homes are vulnerable. With a system from a company such as Vivint Home Security or others, you can shield your possessions from unscrupulous burglars who seek valuables of all kinds. A Peoria AZ specialist in home security suggested that in the United States a burglary occurs almost every 14 seconds. So, an investment into a decent system can be a great protection against loss of assets in your future.

Minimize online transactions

In this high-paced technological age, the desire to conduct business online for convenience is high. However, millions of people find themselves the victim of identity theft and other online capers where cyber-criminals can drain assets. Keep your online transactions to a minimum, and invest in the best virus protection possible. Keep your bank information safe, and never enter personal information in an unsecured site. Aim to do transactions over the phone, by certified mail, or in person, wherever possible to offer yourself an extra edge of security.

Protect your assets after you are gone

Designate a responsible power of attorney to manage your finances in case you are unable to for any reason. If you plan to leave some of your assets to children or other relatives, remember to place them in a legacy trust. An estate planner can help you set up a trust in your state so you can comfortably leave wealth to your heirs.

No matter the type of assets that you have, it is important to protect them from harm. A financial planner can help you place your assets in an ideal arrangement where they will not be depleted. Seek wise investment advice before placing any of your finances in the stock market or other money account. Using this information can help keep your assets secure at all times.