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Although my wife and I have been victims of theft on several occasions, we've not lost anything particularly valuable so far. That's partly because I practise "active crime prevention", having worked for a number of leading insurers over the years. In other words, I take sensible precautions to reduce the risk of becoming a victim, because criminals tend to pick on the weakest link. Here are ten ways that you can improve your personal security – and keep your insurance premiums down! YOUR CAR 1. Don't leave stuff on display in your car My wife's car has been broken into twice. The first time, a thief stole a sports bag that she'd left on the rear seat – and all he got for his trouble was a wet towel and swimming costume, ha ha! On the second occasion, we were late for a wedding, so we scrambled out of our car and into the church, without removing the front panel of our stereo. Seeing a long line of cars in a deserted country lane next to a church, a thief broke the driver's window and jemmied out our stereo. To our relief, he didn't break into the boot, where our weekend bags were. Phew! These days, whenever we leave our car unattended, my wife and I always glance around the vehicle to make sure that anything of any value is out of sight or taken away. Never leave cash, mobile phones, CDs, laptops, bags, jackets, coats, etc. on display in your car. These all shout "MONEY!" to a passing "smash and grabber". Learn more at the Secure Your Motor website. YOUR HOME 2. Hide valuables when your home is empty If you're going to be away from your home for more than one night, take steps to conceal your valuables from passing villains. Move easily stolen electrical goods - such as DVD players, video-game consoles and portable CD players - away from prying eyes. Lowering blinds and drawing curtains may help to keep your valuables out of sight, but may also make your house appear unoccupied during the day. However, timer-activated lights make your home look occupied when you're out. Remember, if thieves can see an expensive item, they might be tempted to nick it! 3. Secure the rear of your home I spent two years working for Royal & SunAlliance, which was the UK's largest home insurer at that time. One of our underwriters once gave me a good piece of advice: take steps to secure the rear of your home, because two-thirds of break-ins take place at the back of houses. This leads me on to... 4. Fit good locks to windows and doors Fit five-lever mortice deadlocks or high-security rim deadlocks to external doors. Look for the British Standard 3621 kite mark or European Standard EN 12209. Also, fit window locks to all windows, starting with those on the ground floor. They aren't expensive and are sold by DIY shops, hardware stores and locksmiths. 5. Fit a burglar alarm Burglars think twice when they see a burglar alarm. Alarm systems range from cheap DIY wire-free systems right up to expensive wired alarms costing thousands. Your home insurer may be able to recommend a good system or firm, which should meet BS6707 for DIY systems or BS4737 for professionally installed alarms. Learn more about home security in this Home Office guide. OUT AND ABOUT 6. Put your wallet or purse on a diet My wallet is bulging at the seams with receipts, plastic cards, bits of paper, etc. In fact, at almost two inches thick, it's become very unwieldy! A clear out is long overdue, so I'm going to shred all the rubbish in my wallet and move most of my credit cards to a safe place. However, when I'm going out on the town, often I leave my wallet safely at home and carry a mini-wallet, which contains a little cash, one cashcard, my Travelcard and the number of a reliable taxi firm. This cuts down on hassle if I'm robbed or lose my wallet while out celebrating Christmas! 7. Keep good financial records If you do have your wallet or purse stolen, you need to notify various organisations, order replacement cards and documents, and so on. So, do something for me now: empty your purse or wallet onto your desk and then extract all of the important documents and cards from the pile. Then, stroll over to your photocopier or scanner and make a permanent copy of the contents. Keep this somewhere safe, so that you can quickly get substitutes if you lose this stuff. 8. Don't abandon your purse or wallet I keep my wallet close to me, except when I'm at home. In fact, I usually keep it in my trouser pocket when I'm inside (and in my jacket when I'm outdoors). I don't leave it lying around in my office or any public place. One of my relatives had builders working in his office and, after returning to his office after a meeting, discovered that his wallet had been stolen from his jacket. By the time that he'd notified his bank, the thief had already withdrawn £500 cash, using his Gold card over the counter at the local branch. Yikes! So, when you can't lay your hand on your wallet, it may be at risk... 9. Keep your mobile phone private I am one of that vanishing breed who don't own a mobile phone, which I (as a grumpy old man) consider to be pesky, invasive nuisances! Still, while most adults and many children have one, they are easy pickings for muggers and pickpockets. Don't wave your mobile phone around in busy places or in darkened surroundings, because around a quarter of thefts happen when a phone is being used or can be seen by others. Remember, showing off your new mobile phone is like waving £100 or so under a baddie's nose! 10. Know where you're going If you're visiting somewhere unfamiliar this Christmas, take a few minutes to plan your route or print off a map. The AA's Route Planner is very helpful for motorists; Transport for London is good for getting around our crowded capital; and Multimap is good for getting maps of areas. Always carry the number of a dependable local taxi firm, just in case you're stranded and can't find a black cab. Also, when travelling on foot, stick to well-lit, busy, main roads, which are much less risky. Learn more in this Home Office guide to personal safety. I hope that this guide helps you to safeguard yourself, your family and your belongings. And, in the words of Crimewatch, don't fret too much about crime, because incidents are falling and violent crime is mercifully rare. Most crime is against property, not people. More: Get a cheaper quote in our Insurance centre.