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It's Easy to Stay Safe Online

 

This year, during October's Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the theme is "It's easy to stay safe online," where we are encouraged to focus on four key behaviors to stay safe online:

  1. Enable multifactor authentication.
  2. Use strong passwords and a password manager.
  3. Update software (and keep it updated.)
  4. Recognize and report phishing.

First, multifactor authentication allows you to protect yourself in multiple ways. MFA is sometimes called two-factor authentication or two-step verification. It is an important cybersecurity measure that requires you to prove your identity in numerous ways. Typically, this includes verifying your identity another way after entering your username and password. Examples include using a fingerprint or responding to a text message.

Second, establish strong passwords and use a password manager. Since passwords are the keys to your digital castle, regardless of which accounts they protect, create all passwords using three guiding principles:

  • LONG (at least 12 characters long), ...

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Bad Weather Prep

 

Everything might seem cozy and safe at home, but imagine severe weather hits the area. We’re talking about a “quick, we have to get out of here” severe weather.   

Are you ready financially?  

You can be, and it won’t take long.  Following are some quick tips.  

How to Store Documents 

Get a durable storage box that is waterproof. 

How Much Cash to Have for Emergency 

Keep a small amount of cash in it—money you can use for purchases if the power goes out for a few days and you find yourself in the dark.   

What Documents to Store 

Also, place important financial papers like insurance policies, wills, and a spare checkbook in the storage box. 

Direct Deposit 

A big problem when having to evacuate and leave town is how you get your paycheck. This is another reason—and there are many—to have direct deposit. Your ...

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Embarking on a Quarter of a Century

As First Reliance Bank embarks on our 25th year, we are pleased to share Rick Saunders' recent social media post below. Stay tuned throughout the coming months as we have celebrations planned in each market and will share our branch community efforts, including customer service milestones.    

"Paul Saunders and I are humbled and honored when reminded that we’ve just celebrated our 24th anniversary for First Reliance Bank this month, and soon, we’ll embark on a quarter of a century. From the beginning, you have trusted us and have allowed us to serve you with great pride and pleasure.

In the couple of years of our opening for business, our industry saw historic levels of new bank start-ups across the country. After 24 years, over 80% of those banks no longer exist. This certainly is a testament to our talented associates, our customers, and the community's loyalty and support. ...

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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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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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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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How to Prevent Fake Check Scams

Fake check scams are occurring more than ever, and scammers are becoming increasingly clever with their tactics. Here's how a fake check scam typically works.

Someone you don't know sends you a check. It could be from any company. The person will ask you to deposit the check and send some of the money to them or another person in return. The scammer always has a reason to explain why you received the check and why you cannot keep all the money. If you deposit a fake check and send money to the scammer, you will be responsible for that money, which can sometimes amount to thousands of dollars!

No matter how convincing the scammer is or how legitimate the check looks, people don't send money to others without reason.  

Types of Fake Check Scams

Fake checks come in many forms. Business or personal checks, cashier's checks, and money orders ...

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Sign Up for e-Statements and Ditch the Filing Cabinet!

Monthly bank statements. Ah, yes, those papers that are coming your way every month. Consider, if you will, two individual types. An organized wizard with a filing cabinet (or cabinets) holding chronologically organized statements and another who cringes when trying to remember where last month’s statement is. Whomever you relate with, First Reliance Bank offers a banking service that works brilliantly.

Five Reasons Why e-Statements are Good.

  1. e-Statements are accessible days earlier than mailed statements.
  2. e-Statements reduce the risk of identity theft.
  3. There’s no need for shredding or saving stacks of paper.
  4. Saving paper and fuel is better for the environment and your pocketbook.
  5. e-Statements are totally free. That’s right, totally free.

There are numerous benefits when receiving e-Statements, but the best is how they save you money. Yes, that’s correct; you can say farewell to the monthly maintenance fee by signing up for e-Statements. The yield of saving $5 ...

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Fraud Warning Signs

Truth be told, today, there are many people out to scam you. Check fraud has spiked in the U.S., with thieves stealing money and selling bogus checks on the darknet. Mail-related check fraud is rising, as criminals can easily get their hands on your checks. As terrible as this is, knowing the warning signs can be a very good thing. Help begins at home.

  1. Unexpected charges.

If you do not check your accounts carefully, while this may be obvious, someone could buy something unexpected with your money. First Reliance customers whose accounts are enrolled in online banking or the bank’s mobile app simply need to turn on the alert settings to know when purchases are made.

  1. Checks that are significantly out of order on your bank statement.

When checking your monthly bank statement, you may not have written that check if you notice an oddball check number.

  1. Bills and statements ...

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Five Financial Wellness Goal Ideas

With January in the rear window, it isn’t too late to look at your finances and set goals for 2023. There's no better time to take stock of your financial situation than now. So, how do you start? Here are five goals that may help.

  1. Get a financial check-up. This step is essential so you know where you stand. Add up your assets and subtract your liabilities. The result will show whether you're in the green (positive) or red (negative). Knowing the answer can help you plan your next year’s savings and spending.
  2. Create a spending plan. Itemize your monthly expenses and include your essential and non-essential items. Determine if you want to make it a priority to save money or eliminate debt.
  3. Conduct monthly financial meetings. Like you would as an employee, having monthly meetings with family members makes sense, especially regarding finances. If you have ...