| Although many retailers are seeing a significant | | | | your family has been doing, the knowledge of a |
| drop in sales as Americans attempt to reign in | | | | new safe delivered to your home sets off many |
| their expenses in this uncertain economy, home | | | | alarms in a wrongdoer's mind. They now know |
| security and residential safe manufacturers are | | | | you are storing valuables in your home, and may |
| witnessing an increase in sales activities. Many | | | | attempt to break into the equipment when you |
| homeowners are citing the fear of increasing | | | | are gone, or steal the entire safe altogether. |
| burglaries and thefts as the reason for purchasing | | | | Families storing guns in their home for protection |
| a safe. In addition, news of failing banks is | | | | are urged to exercise extra caution. Even |
| prompting many Americans to contemplate | | | | purchasing a qualified firearms safe to keep |
| storing funds within their homes. | | | | children and others away from the guns is not a |
| Fearing the worst in economic collapse, | | | | fool-proof precaution. Those who obtain guns for |
| consumers are disregarding the FDIC insurance | | | | home protection need to remember that the |
| provided by most banks, and stashing their cash | | | | guns do not keep thieves away when they are |
| at home. Many safe retailers are seeing sales | | | | not home. |
| increases of 50 percent, and some as high as 300 | | | | Installing a quality home security system with 24 |
| to 400 percent. However, manufacturers warn | | | | 7 monitoring equally protects you when home or |
| that safes are not always burglar-proof. | | | | away. Burglaries, fire, and carbon monoxide may |
| Many safes may advertise that they are fire | | | | all be monitored by a third party, who will dispatch |
| proof, but a thief can simply turn it on its side to | | | | the proper authorities should an alarm sound when |
| access the contents. Consumers are encouraged | | | | you are not home. |
| to do their research prior to buying a safe for | | | | Safes may provide an added measure of |
| cash, jewelry, valuables, and guns. | | | | protection for your valuables, but consumers are |
| Even when compared to the scare of Y2K and 9 | | | | urged to never accept them as a substitute to |
| 11, retailers claim this season's business dwarfs | | | | proper monitoring of your property. Many |
| that of prior crises. Home security system | | | | systems and service plans may be purchased and |
| companies are also experiencing sales increasing | | | | subscribed to for much less than the cost of a |
| as high as 20 percent this season. | | | | quality safe. |
| Consumers fear that with the rising | | | | Prior to withdrawing all funds from a banking |
| unemployment rate, holidays around the corner, | | | | institution, consumers are encouraged to inquire |
| and stale credit extensions, that some will resort | | | | about the status of FDIC insurance and how it |
| to the worst scenario and attempt to steal | | | | affects their accounts. Most will be completely |
| valuables and cash from others. Even those who | | | | protected in the custody of the bank, though |
| purchase a quality safe need to consider installing | | | | customers have the right to educate themselves |
| a home security system. | | | | about their protection levels and exposure. |
| If the wrong people are paying attention to what | | | | |