Home Safes are designed to keep valuables safe from both theft and fire. The safe should be large enough to keep all valuables and should be bolted down. Safes, like door locks, should be used every day. All important documents (passports, credit cards, social security cards, and bank statements), jewelry etc. should be locked up rather than kept in a draw or on the counter. Remember that if a thief gets in and is able to steal a credit card, check book, passport or other personal information he can very easily engage in a variety of identity fraud schemes that could be costly.

Buying a safe is a wise investment for those with easily portable valuables. Items like jewelry, coin collections, guns, and cameras are easy for thieves to fence, thus making appealing targets. Experienced burglars know where to look, so a favorite hiding place is not really secure. All quality safes have Underwriters Laboratories, or UL, ratings. These ratings determined how fire-resistant a safe is and fall into the following categories:

Class A Safe -- Protects paper documents for up to 4 hours at 2000°F.

Class B Safe -- Protects paper documents for up to 2 hours at temperatures up to 1850°F

Class C Safe -- Protects paper documents for up to 1 hour at temperatures up to 1700°F

There are even specialized safes available to protect data storage devices and computer disks.

Quality combination safes are comprised of a chest inside a fire-resistant exterior. They have a steel door and walls, along with a combination lock. All but the largest safes should be bolted to the floor, set in concrete, or wall mounted, ensuring a burglar cannot easily move them.

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