An article posted yesterday on the Herald Business website claims that while the percentages of burglaries have decreased, the average amount claimed on insurance claims has risen.

One of the first places that home thieves head to once they have entered a home is the master bedroom. This is because the bedroom is where most people keep their precious heirlooms and expensive jewelry. And jewelry are some of the easiest things to liquidate on the street, especially when gold and silver values are high.

In the article, some excellent concepts were covered on how to protect your assets against these thieves. Do you love to share everything on social media? One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to let people know that you are out of town and your home is empty.

If you plan to be out of town, be sure to set up some indoor/outdoor lighting on timers so that it looks like someone is home. It doesn't hurt to let a television stay on for a few hours per day, as well, for added protection.

Ask a neighbor or a friend to pick up your mail and newspapers.

Make sure you post home security system signs on the property - and set your security system in protection mode while you are away.

All of the effort in the world may not stop an intruder from entering a home and getting their hands on your precious, irreplaceable items. In this case, ensure that you have taken pictures and logged each and every item for documentation for insurance purposes. The article also recommends that you keep a video log of your items, as well. This way, in the worst case scenario, you can prove that you did own the items and make the insurance recovery process much easier.