Don’t announce vacation details on Facebook

Residential burglary claims increase dramatically over the summer months, says insurer Aviva Canada.

Compared to February – which has the lowest frequency of burglaries – July, August and September show an increase of 24%, 36% and 18% respectively.

While the incidence of burglaries is dropping in Canada, a few simple steps can help make your clients more unlikely targets.

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Advise clients to:

• Keep upcoming vacation plans off of social media and remind kids to do the same. While your clients may be diligent with who can see posts, their friends may not have tight privacy settings;
• Consider upgrading the locking systems on doors and windows. Also inspect window or door frames to ensure thieves could not easily force entry;
• Ensure all windows and doors are locked when out of the home or overnight, and when moving into a new property have the locks changed;
• Make their homes look occupied. Park a car in the driveway, use timers to activate household lights in the evenings, ask a neighbour to collect mail and newspapers and mow the lawn;
• Install a security device with a loud alarm or flashing lights;
• Do a home inventory with a video camera in case of a theft.

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Value of thefts increasing While the frequency of burglary is on the decline in Canada, the value of property being stolen is on the rise. The average value of a burglary claim has increased 27% over the last five years from $5,695 to $7,243. This can be attributed to the value of smaller items such as jewelry, tablets, laptops, cell phones, video cameras and gaming consoles, which are portable and thus easier to steal and sell.

Friday is a favourite for thieves Break-ins are more common at the start of the weekend, shows Aviva statistics. Thursdays also show a higher rate of break-in frequency at 19% higher than Sunday.

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Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.