Here are some simple tips I've picked up that you can employ to help make your house an uninviting target for thieves this year:

• Illuminate your home's entry points (doors and windows) and make sure the lights shine on the house, not in the eyes of any "observers."



• Don't give burglars hiding places. Trim bushes away from doors and windows, and at least two feet up from the ground.



• Participate in or organize a neighborhood watch program.



• A decal placed on a window near the entry points of your home will convey to burglars that they possibly are being watched.

These are just a few of the many ways you can help protect your home from intruders. They are simple steps that can make a big difference in protecting your home and your possessions. I don't want you to ever come home and find your house has been broken into and valuable possessions stolen.

Remember, proper insurance protection requires constant vigilance. Did you know that 37% of unpaid claims result from perilous GAPS in insurance coverage? Be sure to let us know whenever changes arise in your life.