So Where Should You Hide Those Valuables?

We’ve all heard of secret places to hide valuables: Wrap your cash in foil and put it in the freezer; hide your jewelry in socks in your drawers.

But the problem is that everyone knows about these hiding spots, even the burglars. And where do you hide old love letters from your spouse? What do you do when you need a hiding place that you’re absolutely certain is secure?

Jerome Schneider, an authority on asset protection, and Allison Hope Weiner have written a book entitled “Hiding Your Money: Everything You Need to Know About Keeping Your Money and Valuables Safe from Predators and Greedy Creditors” (Prima Publishing, $30). The book offers suggestions for finding and creating hiding places in your home so discreet that no one will ever find them, according to the authors. Here are a few examples:

False drawer bottoms. Just measure the drawer and have a piece of matching wood cut to its dimensions. (If it’s not a great match, just line drawers with paper.) Hold the false bottom in place with Velcro or plastic strip magnets.

Dummy electrical outlets. Clear out the socket housing from the wall and use just the faceplates. Remove the plug faces from the guts and glue them into the slots in the faceplates. Cut off the screw heads and attach them to the faceplate with epoxy and super glue. (Or take the easy route and buy a ready-made false outlet.)

Overstuffed chairs. Turn over your chair and pull out the staples that are used to secure the upholstery to the underside of the chair’s frame. Put your goodies inside the padding and foam, securing with tape. Then use a staple gun to refasten the upholstery to the underside of the chair.

Schneider and Weiner repeatedly assert that, even if you think you have absolutely nothing to hide, you probably do. At the very least, you should hide the important documents such as bank card PIN numbers that many people leave casually lying around. Be safe by hiding your important documents.

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