THE SABEX AWARDS - SASKATOON ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

HOW TO STOP BURGLARS FROM TARGETING YOUR HOME

In Burglary Prevention Tips :

• Unlocked doors or windows
• Front doors with glass panes
• Open curtains that reveal what you have in your home
• Open doors or windows (this includes garage doors)
• Darkened points of entry
• Valuables left out in the open, such as lawn equipment or bicycles
• Large bushes that obscure the front yard or door to your home
• Fences that provide cover
• Neighbourhoods without neighbourhood watch

Signs that a home is an unoccupied target include:

•     Newspapers or unchecked mail
•     Overgrown yards
•    “Sorry we missed you” notes on the door

LOCK YOUR WINDOWS AND DOORS

REINFORCE YOUR DOORS

GLASS FRONT DOORS ATTRACT BURGLARS

They will look through the door in order to see what’s inside.  A thief can see if you have a traditional, monitored alarm system as well.

KEEP YOUR GARAGE DOOR CLOSED

I think a lot of people take leaving their garage door open for granted. Maybe you could do that in 1952, but those days are over. I know a man who’s wife pulled into the garage and left the garage door open when she went into the house. By the time she went back out to close it, someone had already run in and stolen his toolbox full of expensive tools. Now, talk about emboldened opportunism! Luckily they caught the guy because the man had a security camera that had captured a clear image of his face.

GET AN UP-TO-DATE OPENER

LOCK THE DOOR FROM YOUR GARAGE INTO YOUR HOUSE

CLOSE YOUR BLINDS OR CURTAINS

 WHAT BURGLARS WANT AND WHERE THEY LOOK FOR IT IN  YOUR HOUSE

• under the mattress
• under the bed
• master closest
• shoe boxes
• night stands
• tops of wardrobes
• bathroom cabinets
• dresser drawers
• medicine cabinets
• children’s’ rooms
• kitchen pantry
• broom or utility closet
• basement
• attic

Crime prevention officers suggest keeping bushes trimmed down to about 3 feet or shorter so that you increase the visibility for your neighbours or pedestrian onlookers. I can totally see keeping my front door and window bushes trimmed back. But let’s take a look at our other options below.

ADD LANDSCAPE LIGHTING FOR HOME SECURITY 

Basically, these are stand-alone security cameras installed in light fixtures. Whenever motion triggers them, both the light and the camera activate. Next, they send you an alert via text message. From there you can control the camera, which includes the ability to speak to whoever is there..ask Reed today! 

SIGNS YOU ARE AWAY

1.  OVERGROWN LAWNS 
2. TRASHCANS LEFT OUT BY THE CURB

WHAT DO BURGLARS LOOK FOR IN A TARGETED NEIGHBORHOOD?

• settled homes
• a particular type of home typically means disposable income..that means they have jewelry or cash
• well-kept homes
• yards with nice fences because they indicate nice interior
• houses without alarm systems
• glass front doors that let them see inside

When you become a Reed Security client you will be entering into a relationship - one they want to grow and become long-term. Installing a security system will decrease the odds of having a break-in by nearly 400%. 

Reed Security is a Multi SABEX AWARD WINNING company and they are TRUSTED SASKATOON ALARM & SECURITY EXPERTS

Reed Security Top Security  Tips

All About Theft:

• 66% of break-in's are forced entry and forced entry attempts
• 34% of break-ins are an unlawful entry (without force)
• In 2015, Saskatchewan had 9407 break-in's (180/week) and Alberta had 27,517 break-in's (529/week)
• Break-ins occur in all areas of the City - not just the "bad areas"
• Most Home break-ins occur when you are at work or travelling (daytime)
• Most Business break-ins occur when you are at home (evening and weekends)
• Cabin's and Lake properties are especially attractive
• 98% of break-ins occur through main floor doors and windows (often unlocked)
• Thieves target the Master Bedroom

Thieves steal:

• Cash and Credit Cards
• Jewelry
• Designer clothes and sunglasses
• Electronics such as TV's, Stereos, Computers, Video Game systems, Smartphones and Tablets
• Tools
• Sporting Goods
• Cars and Trucks or the contents in them
• Building Materials
• Alcohol and Prescription drugs
• Your Identity

How to Prevent Theft

Use Common Sense!

• If you lose a key, get the locks changed.
• Ask all strangers for identification.
• Never hide an extra key outdoor - especially underneath a mat or on top of a light fixture. This is the first place the bad guys look. Leave an extra house key with a friend or a neighbour.
• DO NOT advertise on Facebook or other social media that you are on vacation.
• For insurance purposes take photos of the contents of your home.
• Keep all receipts in a safe and easy to find location.
• Write down the model and the serial number of all electronics.
• Make it Difficult
• Door chains are easy to bypass. Install deadbolts.
• Install a stopper or stick on all sliding doors and windows.
• Install window bars on all basement windows.
• Make sure all doors and windows are properly locked.
• Keep your premises well lit at night.
• Install timers that turn lights on at different times. This gives the appearance that someone is home.

Install a monitored Home Security system and you are 400% less likely to have a break-in.

You will receive up to 25% insurance discount. and optional ALARM.COM with automatic lights.

In case you do have a break-in:

If it looks like a door or window was forced open, DO NOT go inside. The burglar may still be on site.

Call the Police from your cellular phone or from a neighbour's house and wait.

Trusted Saskatoon Accouontants Hounjet Tastad Harpham is a locally owned and operated accounting firm in Saskatoon. While they are based in Saskatoon, they serve clients across the entire province. Hounjet Tastad Harpham has spent decades gaining the trust of the people of Saskatchewan and has gained a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and consistent accounting firms in the city, and province. They provide accounting and tax services for small, medium, and large businesses, as well as individuals and non-profit organizations. Hounjet Tastad Harpham is a partnership between Roseline Hounjet, Allyn Tastad, and Dustin Harpham.

Accelerated capital cost allowance is changed.

 The incentive accelerates the amount of   capital cost allowance that can be deducted   from taxable income. First of all, the half-year   rule has been suspended. Until now, you   could only claim half of the regular allowance   in the year that something was purchased.   Now you can claim 100 per cent of the   applicable capital cost allowance in the year   of purchase.

In addition, the first year of capital cost allowance has been bumped up by 50 percent. In practical terms, a producer will have equipment in various capital cost allowance categories. Net additions to any class will be increased by a factor of 50 percent for calculating the first-year capital cost allowance.

For subsequent years, the allowance deduction returns to normal. 

So how does all this work in practice? Let’s say you buy a new or used tractor for $100,000. Tractors and other self-propelled equipment are in Class 10 and eligible for a 30 percent capital cost allowance.

If you purchased the tractor before Nov. 20, the capital cost allowance in the first year is 15 percent or $15,000. This is half of the 30 percent allowance in the first year of purchase.    

How does this affect your tax bill? If you’re running an incorporated farm with a federal tax rate of 12 percent, the $45,000 capital cost allowance reduces your tax bill by $5,400. The same tractor purchased before Nov. 20 would generate a reduction in taxes of only $1,800.

This is a federal incentive to buy equipment and stimulate the economy. However, remember that when you’re allowed to claim more allowance in year one, it reduces how much is left for subsequent years. The total amount of deduction hasn’t been increased. You just get to claim deductions sooner.             

There is value to receiving more of your tax deduction earlier, but when you work through the numbers, this shouldn’t move the needle very much when deciding whether to upgrade equipment. Other considerations remain much more important.

The Trusted Saskatoon team is thrilled to welcome Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants to our Saskatoon directory of excellence in the Saskatoon Financial Services Category!

Hounjet Tastad Harpham

Allyn Tastad - B.Comm, CPA, CGA

Allyn has been a public accountant since 1988. He provides tax and accounting services to a wide range of clients, from individuals to large-scale enterprises. Allyn is also a regular contributor to the Western Producer as a columnist. He is still actively involved with the family farm near Loreburn, SK, and lives in Saskatoon with his wife Pattie and their two children. 

Dustin Harpham - B.Comm, CPA, CGA

Dustin has been working in public accounting since 1996. Dustin brings diverse tax expertise to the firm and enjoys applying computer applications to accounting and tax problems. Dustin lives in Saskatoon with his wife Angela and their three children. 

Why Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants. 

We knew about Hounjet Tastad Harpham as they have been Trusted's accountants since 2011- in addition they have been the personal accountants of Sara the Trusted founder since 2006. They have an exceptional reputation within the Saskatoon business community. Therefore, we were thrilled when they showed interest in joining the family of TrustedSaskatoon.com businesses. While interviewing clients for their verification, they received stellar ratings - 10/10 after 10/10!

Don't just take it from us, check outwit their other clients had to say ! 

Yvonne Crozier of Straightline Builders had this to say about Hounjet Tastad Harpham:

"Hounjet Tastad Harpham took over our accounting after a bad experience with another firm. They took over and fixed the issue right away. The experience working with Hounjet Tastad Harpham has been nothing but wonderful." 

Another satisfied customer from Saskatoon had this to say:

"Roseline has always been at the forefront of non-profit accounting. I appreciate her cautious and careful approach to avoid any potential issues. They always went above and beyond to educate us, and their bilingual service is a great added value that not a lot of accountants offer." - Julien Gaudet (Saskatoon)

While interviewing clients, a couple of themes consistently came up. 

The first was that the accountants at Hounjet Tastad Harpham go out of their way to educate their clients on their accounting affairs in a straightforward way that the client can understand. The second was that Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants are very customer service focused; they are very attentive to their client's needs and provide prompt responses and feedback. 

Trusted Saskatoon warmly welcomes Houjet Tastad Harpham Accountants to our directory of excellence in the Saskatoon financial services category, and we are proud to give them the thumbs up!

Check out the Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants listing and read more reviews here.