Top Strategies For Financial Security
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Top Strategies For Financial Security

Hello, my name is Rhonda. If you have financial goals, this blog can help you achieve them. A few years ago, I realized that I didn't have a good plan for my future and I wondered if my financial needs would be met after I retired from my job. I immediately started planning for my future by speaking with a financial advisor and I learned a wealth of information at our meetings. By following the recommendations of my advisor and by learning everything I could about finances and money, I now feel very secure about my future. If you need financial help for retirement planning, college savings or even for an emergency fund, you can get sound advice by reading my blog. I believe that by following a few basic strategies, everyone can meet their goals and be financially secure.

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Top Strategies For Financial Security

When Good Copper Recycling Goes Bad: Tips For Protecting Your Property From Copper Thieves

Kent Cook

Metal recycling is a profitable business, and because building materials such as copper wiring can bring profit up to $2.50 per pound, this metal is among the most sought after. Sadly, too much of today's recycled copper comes from construction sites and vacant homes where it was stolen for its recycle value, and the damage left behind can be devastating to the property owner. If you're building a home, or if you own a vacant home that's currently on or off the market, take steps to protect yourself from copper thieves.

Make Your Vacant Home Look Occupied

Lessen the chances of your vacant home attracting the attention of copper thieves by making it appear as though it's occupied:

  • Wire lights throughout the home to timers, and set them to come on at varied times throughout the day and night. 
  • Cover the windows with attractive treatments that make it look as though someone took time to decorate the interior of the home. Leaving the windows bare, boarding them up, or hanging bed sheets and towels to block the view into your vacant home is an open invitation to copper thieves and vandals. 
  • Maintain the lawn and landscaping.
  • Park a vehicle in the driveway intermittently. Offer the neighbors free parking to make this task easier. 
  • Don't allow mail, newspapers, catalogs, or phone books to accumulate. A telephone book or  free advertising supplements left on a lawn for a week is a prime indicator that no one comes in or out of the home daily. 
  • Set out the trash regularly. Again, the neighbors may be more than happy to help generate trash bags to fill your cans. Just make sure you, or somebody who lives nearby, drags the cans back in a timely fashion. 

Following these rules of a lived-in house can be time-consuming, especially if you live too far away to make it reasonable. If this is the case, hire a local, reliable friend to help you out. Just be careful that the person you trust to care for your home is trustworthy himself. 

Protect a New Construction

Unfortunately, everyone knows that a home under construction is vacant. You can still take steps to protect your project from copper thieves 

  • Install visible security cameras -- even if they're not hooked up.
  • Never leave expensive tools, wiring, or tubing in visible areas. 
  • Reward the neighbors for keeping an eye on your property by letting them park in the driveway and use the dumpster. 

If you employ these simple tricks for making your property look lived-in and secure, you'll greatly reduce your chances of being hit by thieves who are trolling for copper. To sell your own scrap metals before thieves can reach it, contact a company such as Sackin Metals for information on copper recycling.


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