Due to hurricane Idalia, our Mt. Pleasant and Myrtle Beach branches will close at 1 PM Wednesday, August 30th, and will reopen Thursday the 31st at noon.

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Tiffany (TK) Kiminski, Vice President, Deposit Operations Manager
Tiffany (TK) Kiminski, Vice President, Deposit Operations Manager

First Reliance Bank announces that Tiffany (TK) Kiminski has been promoted to Vice President, Deposit Operations Manager.  As a 2019 graduate of the SC Bankers School, TK manages Deposit Operations for the bank.  Deposit Operations is responsible for numerous operations, including account adjustments, disputes, account reviews, sweeps, escheatment, wires, and much more.  She has led various team assignments to implement new systems that affect the bank’s deposit accounts as well as participating in many others.

Rick Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of First Reliance Bank, shared, “Tiffany is a dependable employee with excellent values that encompass community mindednesses and business leadership. She lives the bank's values of being a committed, caring leader.”

John Lindley, Senior Vice President and Director of Operations, said, “Tiffany’s leadership across all markets furthers our bank’s growth. As a recipient of the First Reliance Culture Coin in 2022, she fully embraces the bank’s core values delivering on ...

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Schaefer Carpenter, Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Manager
Schaefer Carpenter, Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Manager

 

First Reliance Bank announces that Schaefer Carpenter has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Manager. He manages the daily operations and staffing of 11 retail banking offices in South Carolina and North Carolina.

Rick Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of First Reliance Bank, shared, “Schaefer’s leadership is noteworthy. As a recipient of the bank’s Culture Coin, he portrays living the bank’s core values and delivering on our brand purpose to make things BETTER.”

Ben Brazell, Executive Vice President Retail Banking, said, “Schaefer meticulously manages mergers, team efforts, and daily banking efforts.”

Schaefer earned a B.S. in Finance from The University of South Carolina. During his career, he furthered his education at the South Carolina Bankers School, the RMA Commercial Lending School (East Carolina University), and the FDIC Examiner School (Washington, DC).

 

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Money Mules – A Growing Problem

 

In the 2018 release of “The Mule,” starring Clint Eastwood as Earl Stone, a 90-year-old man who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business. Earl is offered a job that requires him to drive. While that should be easy enough, Earl doesn’t know that he had signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. The movie was based on The New York Times article "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Sam Dolnick. Inspired by the true story of Leo Sharp, an 80-year-old World War II veteran, Sharp became the world's oldest and most prolific drug mule for the Sinaloa Cartel.

Money mules and crime have long been one and the same, and financial institutions have been working to prevent them for a very long time. First Reliance Bank knows of the dangers and is aggressive in our efforts to thwart it. One important effort ...

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David Renaker, Senior Vice President, Relationship Banker
David Renaker, Senior Vice President, Relationship Banker

 

First Reliance Bank announces that David Renaker has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Relationship Banker for the Columbia branch. He is responsible for business development, bringing new business and personal loan and deposit customers to the bank. In addition, he manages the existing loan and deposit relationship for business clients and the owners/stakeholders of those companies.

President of First Reliance Justin Strickland said, “I am pleased to see David promoted to Senior Vice President. His trusted banking expertise is impressive as he serves the greater Columbia market’s business development.”

David is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, having earned a BS in Business Finance in 1986. He is also a graduate of the South Carolina Bankers School. He serves on the Finance Committee as Vice Chairman of the Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce. He is also Vice Chair of the Union United Methodist finance committee, a Diplomat ...

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Melissa Fowble, Assistant Vice President Branch Manager, Myrtle Beach
Melissa Fowble, Assistant Vice President Branch Manager, Myrtle Beach

 

First Reliance Bank announces that Melissa Fowble has been promoted to Assistant Vice President Branch Manager for the Myrtle Beach branch. She is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the branch, business development, and branch market growth.

President of First Reliance Justin Strickland said, “Melissa’s community involvement demonstrates her dedication to growing the bank’s footprint in Myrtle Beach and attracting businesses to the area. Her support of the Chamber of Commerce is notable.”

Melissa works with the Myrtle Beach Chamber providing membership mentoring to new and existing chamber investors while engaging and connecting existing and future young professionals through the Chamber’s Grand Strand Young Professionals. She is also involved with the Myrtle Beach Area Regional Economic Development and serves as Executive Director for the Oceanside Chapter GBN (Great Business Networking). She is also on the United Way Vision Council.

 

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Are You Searching for a Great Credit Card Rate?

 

If you said yes, we have an attractive 0% interest rate offer you may be interested in. But first, please pause a moment and think about how you use credit. You may even want to ask yourself these questions. 

- Do you pay it off every month?

- Do you use it for travel?

- How high do you need your spending limit to be?

- Do you prefer a low rate, cash back, or rewards points?  

First Reliance will always encourage our customers to be savvy when it comes to having a credit card. For a limited time, we are offering an attractive introductory 0% interest rate for the first 12 months on purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances from the date of opening (see flyer for details). If you're looking for a new credit card, you can contact one of our customer service representatives. At First ...

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Scurry Tharpe, Vice President, Relationship Banker
Scurry Tharpe, Vice President, Relationship Banker



First Reliance Bank announces that Scurry Tharpe has joined the company as Vice President, Relationship Banker and will work out of the Greenville office. He has over 12 years of industry experience in the commercial credit risk background and in wealth and retail. 

Scurry is a 2009 graduate of The Citadel, where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration and, in 2018, an MBA from Anderson University. A native of Greenwood, S.C., he moved to Greenville in 2011. In his free time, Scurry enjoys spending time outdoors with his children and coaching youth sports on the weekends.

Market President Chris Laughridge shared, “We are pleased to welcome Scurry to the Greenville team, where he will focus on developing and building relationships with community-area business owners and professionals. He is a talented banker who brings significant credit experience with him to his new role.”

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Marci Williams, Vice President Account Executive / Residential Lending Specialist
Marci Williams, Vice President Account Executive / Residential Lending Specialist


Marci Williams has joined First Reliance Bank as Vice President Account Executive / Residential Lending Specialist and will work out of the Charleston, SC, Mount Pleasant branch. She will assist customers with their mortgage financing needs and identify partner opportunities throughout the Southeast. She is a well-respected industry-recognized leader and will be responsible for sales in Retail and the Correspondent/Wholesale partner channels.

"We are happy to have Marci as part of our company growth initiative and are very fortunate to have her as part of our team,” said First Reliance Mortgage President Chuck Stuart. Her extensive experience and innovative approach will be instrumental in elevating our brand awareness and invaluable to our clients and homebuyers in the southeast. We are confident that Marci will play a key role in First Reliance Mortgage’s growth and success in the coming years.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Marci to the team. Marci’s knowledge and ...

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It’s Almost Vacation Time!

Are you dreaming of a vacation or getaway? If you are beginning to plan or are ready to book airline tickets, here are some travel tips to avoid overspending. Airfare savings with cut-rate travel is possible!

When to book a plane ticket

Book in advance: Generally, booking flights well in advance can help you save money. Airline prices tend to go up as you get closer to the travel date, so book your flights as early as possible if you know your travel plans well in advance. Book 49 days in advance, or seven weeks for the best airfare.  Studies show that is when the fares tend to be the lowest.

Be flexible with your travel dates: If you are flexible with your travel dates, you can save a lot of money. Try to avoid flying during peak travel periods like holidays or weekends, as prices are usually higher during ...

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Sarah Baldwin, Senior Vice President, Retail Mortgage Sales
Sarah Baldwin, Senior Vice President, Retail Mortgage Sales

April 18, 2023 – Columbia, S.C. —  First Reliance Bank announces that Sarah Baldwin has been promoted to SVP Retail Mortgage Sales at FRB Mortgage, a division of First Reliance Bank. She is responsible for developing and managing relationships with referral partners and working with a team of mortgage loan officers.

President of First Reliance Justin Strickland said, “I have had the privilege of working with Sarah since she began her career as a Mortgage Executive Originator in 2009. She has performed at a level that ranks her as the best mortgage executive I have worked with in my 38 years of banking.

Chuck Stuart, President of FRB Mortgage Division, shared, “We are very pleased to make this announcement. Sarah’s proven industry knowledge and extensive experience will help the bank expand its reach and deliver value for our clients. She has built strong, trusted relationships with our FRB customers, and driven ...