Home Security

Summer months are the peak months for U.S travel and
also for break-ins, with about 400,000 burglaries each
year. But there are simple steps you can take to boost
your defenses.

Delete old voice mails and call home while you're away
to collect messages. If your voice mail gets full, that's
a sign you're traveling.

Advertise your alarm system. Yard signs are far more
effective than window decals. Burglars can't see decals
from the street, and once they approach your house,
they're far more likely to attempt a break-in.

Never put your home address on luggage tags. You're announcing the
location of yur empty home to everyone in the airport. Use a business
address or P.O. Box number instead.

Don't stop deliveries. Information left with the post office may fall into
the wrong hands. Instead, enlist neighbors or friends to collect the mail
--and to take out the trash. You may not beieve it but would-be
intruders really look for garbage cans that aren't by the curb on
collection day.