While many people are planning weekend getaways and long summer vacations, criminals are planning their next burglary. As you head out for vacation, don't forget to protect your home from thieves.

Many home burglaries are avoidable. According to the Insurance Information Institute, nine out of ten home break- ins could have been prevented if homeowners knew how to burglarproof their homes.

According to the FBI, most burglaries occur in July and August. Each year, more than $1 billion dollars is paid out in homeowners' insurance claims nationally for theft with residential burglaries averaging nearly $2,000 in losses per burglary.

"Light, time, and noise are a homeowner's greatest weapons in the fight to prevent a home burglary," says Allison Dean Love, executive director, South Carolina Insurance News Service. "Insurance companies provide discounts for devices that make a home safer. Most companies give discounts of two to five percent for dead- bolt locks, and smoke/fire alarms. Discounts of 15 to 20 percent are also available if you install a smoke and burglar alarm system that alerts an outside serv- ice. Talk to your insurance agent to check which discounts your property could qualify for."

The South Carolina Insurance News Service suggests the following preventive measures to keep your home safe:

• Keep your home well lit. Mount exterior lights out of reach of would- be burglars in your yard or on your house. Put indoor lights on a timer.

• Make it time- consuming to break into your home. Dead- bolt window and door locks can slow a burglar down. You may also obtain a discount of two to five percent on your insurance policy for installing these.

• Make it noisy to break into your home. Invest in a burglar alarm. Monitored alarms are the most effective because they also alert the police, fire, or other emergency service. A sophisticated alarm system could result in insurance discounts of 15 to 20 percent.

• Make sure you have strong doors. Outside doors and frames should be made of metal or solid hardwood and be at least 1¾- inches thick and each door must fit its frame securely. The best lock will not deter a burglar if it is installed in a weak door.

• Turn off your computer and disconnect it from the Internet. If you save personal information in your computer, make sure it is difficult to access. You don't want a hacker at work while you are on vacation.

• Keep valuables under lock and key and well hidden. When possible, do not leave personal documents in your home office or desk; burglars know to look there. Put critical documents in a lock box somewhere else in the house. Also, keep copies of important documents at another location, a relative's home for example, for quick access in case you need to report identity theft. Expensive jewelry should also be hidden in another room besides the bedroom.

Before you prepare to leave on vacation, follow these additional steps:

• Have mail and packages picked up, forwarded or held by the post office. Stop newspaper deliveries and ask a neighbor to pick- up/ throw- away circulars. Ask a neighbor you trust to keep an eye on your home while you are away. Make arrangements for your lawn to be mowed.

• Leave blinds or curtains open in their usual position. Make it appear that you are at home.

• Don't broadcast your absence in a voice or email greeting or to others you don't know or trust.

• Don't put your home address on luggage. If on business, put the company's address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address.

Your insurance covers the theft of personal possessions, and damage to the home caused by a break- in is covered under a standard homeowners' insurance policy. But you can't replace memories or some special treasures, so prevention is key.

Review your insurance coverage to make sure you understand what will be covered if your personal property is stolen.

Actual cash value coverage will pay only what the stolen item is worth today. With replacement cost coverage, which is only about 10 percent more than actual cash value, damaged property is replaced without deducting for depreciation.

For more information on preventing home burglaries, visit the South Carolina Insurance News Service at www.scinsurance. net or call 803-252- 3455.

For more than 30 years, the South Carolina Insurance News Service, a nonprofit organization, has been providing free insurance information to consumers and the media about property and casualty insurance issues.