July is a time for food, fireworks, family and friends. It's one of those special times of year when we pause to celebrate our nation and appreciate our community. In keeping with that spirit, it's also a good time to reflect about those who have contributed time and energy toward helping us have a better life.

Danny Turner is one such person. A successful businessman, Danny owns a company that provides good jobs for 40 employees.

His story starts at the foot of the Smokey Mountains in Greenville County, South Carolina, where he was born.

Like many young people, he served our country after he graduated high school. He joined the U.S. Navy and spent four years working in navigation and nuclear submarines.

When Danny finished his tour with the Navy, he moved to the Florence area. He got a job running the Florence-based operation of a glass company headquartered ...

Year after year First Reliance's Relay For Life Team, under the leadership of Joan Billheimer, Community Development Officer, shows its commitment to the American Cancer Society.  This year, First Reliance is the second top team in Florence County for raising funds announced Chinel Boateig, American Cancer Society. "First Reliance is very committed to supporting the community and giving back," said Rick Saunders, CEO.  "Several of our employees are cancer survivors and many of our employees have family and friends who have had cancer.  Our company truly wants to make a difference by supporting this cause that has affected so many people including our own." Joan Billheimer, a twelve year cancer survivor herself,  begins planning fundraising activities early each year, including an Italian Buffet which features entertainment, a live auction and dancing.  Each year the event grows larger along with the funds that are raised.  There are several other smaller activities ...

Published courtesy of She Magazine.

Recently, we were excited to receive a letter from a Mount Pleasant branch customer named Randy Bates who just couldn't say enough good things about banking at First Reliance Bank. Randy has his personal accounts with us, and he relies on us for his business banking too. From friendly employees to special programs, Randy told us that he's had outstanding service at our Mount Pleasant branch.

We appreciate that Randy would take the time to write to us, and we thought you'd like to learn a little about him and his experience with our bank.

The youngest of 3 kids, Randy grew up outside of Charlotte, N.C. in the small town of Gastonia. When he was 15, his parents relocated to South Carolina – but that didn't stop him from opting for Carolina Blue and eventually becoming a Tar Heel. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, he spent one year ...

With summer right around the corner, are you planning a vacation outside the United States? Have you already booked that European cruise you've had your eye on?

With a fully-loaded checklist that includes everything from scheduling time off from work, to making travel preparations, to tackling a mountain-high pile of laundry and packing, the last thing you want to worry about is how much cash you'll need to have with you on your trip.

While it's always a good idea to take along a certain amount of cash while traveling, it's far safer and more convenient to travel with your bank debit card.

A First Reliance Bank debit card helps you simplify your international travel. Here's how:

1) It's accepted anywhere outside of the U.S. that accepts VISA cards. Rather than entering your PIN, you'll simply be asked to sign a sales slip.

2) It can be used at network ...

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and we want to celebrate all of you Moms who give so much each day.

Talk about multi-tasking superheroes!

On any given day, you probably find yourself serving as the family's chauffeur, designated shopper, recreational coordinator, meal planner, chef and much, much more.

Many Moms today also serve as chief financial officers, responsible for juggling the family's budget, keeping the bank account balanced, ensuring the bills are paid, and teaching the kids in the household how to be responsible with money.

Citibank recently surveyed their customers about Moms and money.

About 35% said their Mom serves as the family's CFO, and 38% said they turn to Mom for input on financial matters. That's about 5% more than turn to Dad for such advice. The survey also revealed that people engage Mom in conversations about money and finances nearly as often as they ...

Every spring, nature shows us how to have a new beginning. All around us, new buds are forming and flowers pop up from the ground. It's nature's way of saying, “out with the old and in with the new!”

Our version of spring's new beginning is the tradition of “spring cleaning.” When the pollen's gone and the windows are open, our thoughts turn to getting our home in order and refreshing our surroundings. It's the best time of the year to get rid of the unused, clean what's left, and get organized for the months to come.

Are you ready for your own spring cleaning?

To help you get started, here are seven steps that will ensure your spring cleaning is worth every minute you devote to it.

Get rid of the clutter. Stop saving those magazines  you just can't get to and those long-expired coupons. If there's a ...

And Twelve Associates Awarded President’s Club

Each year, as part of the bank’s associate rewards and recognition program, all associates have the opportunity to nominate an outstanding associate and submit a detailed reason of why the chosen associate deserves the award.  A committee of  associates, then carefully reviews the nominations and selects the associate who goes above and beyond performance expectations and who is the best role model for living the values of First Reliance Bank.  Groom was selected from among the bank’s 100 associates.

In his twelve years of service with First Reliance Bank, Groom has demonstrated a career of upward movement because of his consistent dedication to produce excellent work while continuously improving his knowledge of ...

Love your vehicle, but hate the high payments? Thinking of trading in your car or truck for a ride that will cost you less per month?

Before you do, first stop and think about trading in your loan.

That's right. You can trade in your loan and actually keep on driving the vehicle you love.

Here's how:

If you don't already have a checking account at First Reliance Bank, open an account today. You'll need that account if you want to snap up one of the low loan rates available only when you set up your loan payments to automatically be drafted from your account.

Next, take a close look at how much you still owe on your vehicle. Chances are, you've paid down a good bit of the loan principal. So, you will be refinancing a lower amount.

What's your current loan rate? In today's economy, vehicle loan ...

As the saying goes: a penny saved is a penny earned. And, if you're running a business, you want to earn as much as you can. But you also want to save some funds for that day when an emergency or opportunity comes knocking on your business door.

First, you need to build a cash surplus. But once built, the challenge is to find just the right place to store your funds.

There are a staggering variety of investment choices from real estate to the stock market. Many carry the promise of big returns — along with the risk that your principal might be lost.

You can put your cash into a long-term investment like a CD, and you'll be giving your money the chance to grow safely and steadily over time. But the trade-off is liquidity.

What's a business person to do? If you can't afford to risk your ...