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Are You Dreaming of a Vacation?

With the Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, who isn’t ready for a vacation? If you are itching to travel or enjoy a long weekend break, Memorial Day officially kicks off a time of spending time away to explore, refresh, and renew.

If you are planning a trip, here are five ways to save money. Some you may not have thought of, but they really work!

1. Join a local travel social media group
It may be a great way to crowdsource your travel savings. Local members will alert the group when an airline offers a sweet deal from nearby airports, for example.

2. Ask for cash and travel-related gift cards for birthdays and holidays
People may be giving you gifts, so why not make it something towards decreasing the cost of your next vacation? This could be a win-win for you and the gift-giver!

3. Establish a travel ...


Martha Cooper, Vice President Residential Lending Specialist
Martha Cooper, Vice President Residential Lending Specialist

Martha Cooper has joined First Reliance Bank as Vice President Residential Lending Specialist. She will be based in Winston-Salem and will help customers with their mortgage financing needs and identify the bank products that can best meet those needs.

“We are thrilled to welcome Martha to our mortgage team,” said Rick Saunders, Founder/CEO of First Reliance Bank. “She is an excellent mortgage lender, and her knowledge of the Piedmont Triad market will be invaluable to our clients.”

Chuck Stuart, President, of First Reliance Bank Mortgage Division, said, “Martha is well known and has an impressive resume of experience in the Piedmont and Triad market. Her passion for mortgage banking will complement FRB’s dedication to delivering highly personalized service. We look forward to the contributions she will make to the growth and success of our business clients and the bank.”

Martha brings more than 15 years of mortgage and residential lending ...


Melinda Blake, Branch Manager
Melinda Blake, Branch Manager

First Reliance Bank announces the promotion of Melinda Blake to Branch Manager of the Mt. Pleasant branch, replacing Weston Peters, who has moved to the bank’s commercial banking division. Melinda will oversee the branch operations, including managing resources and staff. 

“Melinda is a solid leader in the Mt. Pleasant financial marketplace,” said Rick Saunders, Founder/CEO of First Reliance Bank. “She is an outstanding banker with skills to manage our staff to deliver excellent customer service.” 

Melinda brings more than 20 years of financial services experience. She began her banking career training mortgage brokers and transitioned to teller and banker where she has demonstrated solid leadership. She most recently served as a Client Experienced Banker with a local bank before joining First Reliance Bank as Assistant Branch Manager in 2021.

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