It’s never too early to educate your kids about the value of a dollar.

One of the most important life skills you can teach your children is how to responsibly manage money. By beginning their education while they are young, you can instill a healthy understanding of money that will serve them for a lifetime. Sharing the lessons listed below can help your kids avoid mistakes that contributed to major financial challenges in our country, including the mortgage crisis, the $1.1 trillion student loan debt, and $845 billion owed in credit card debt.

1. Sometimes you have wait for something you want.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson you can teach your child early on is that sometimes, you have to wait for things you want. Small children need to learn that you can’t always have everything you want right now. This is especially true when it comes to money. As ...

Written By David Slade dslade@postandcourier.com Apr 30, 2017,  Post and Courier A little help with downpayments and closing costs could make all the difference for lower-income home buyers. For potential homebuyers with lower than average incomes, there's a South Carolina bank offering down payment and closing-cost assistance that could make the difference necessary to make ownership a reality. This may sound familiar, because I've written recently about homebuyer assistance from the S.C. State Housing Finance and Development Authority, but these homeownership programs are offered by Florence-based First Reliance Bank, using funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. There are a few variations of First Reliance's programs, but each of them offers thousands of dollars in financial help to buyers with incomes that don't exceed 80 percent of the area's median income, depending on family size. So, the income limits vary depending on where the applicant lives, and the ...

These simple improvements could mean the difference between a quick sale and months on the market.

Appearance matters when it comes to purchasing a house. Not only do prospective buyers want an attractive space to call home, they also want to get the most for their money. If your house is dirty, or the exterior needs work, that could communicate to prospective buyers that they are not getting the value for the price. By simply cleaning, organizing, and depersonalizing your home, you improve your chances for selling your home sooner.

Here are our tips for prepping your home for sale:

Update your landscaping: Prospective buyers care about curb appeal, and your yard offers a dramatic first impression of your home when people come to tour. Be sure to mow the grass, trim the hedges, weed, and plant new flowers. Prospective buyers would rather maintain a beautiful yard than start from ...

Don’t wait for the roof to spring a leak before you think about replacing it.

With the recent number of severe storms we’ve had with damaging winds and hail, you may have noticed that your roof is a little worse for wear, and wondering if it is time for a new roof. After all, roofs aren’t exactly cheap, but remain necessary, unless you enjoy sleeping under the stars. To help make your decision a little easier, here are our seven signs that it may be time to replace the roof.

Start with the Attic: A sure sign that it may be time to call a roofer is if you see sunlight through the ceiling of your attic, or you find water damage caused by rain leaks.

Review your Records: How long has it been since the roof was last replaced? Consider the time that has passed since the last replacement, ...

Learn more about how social media can drive sales while also improving customer experience.

Social Media is not only a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but it can also be used as an inexpensive tool for your business to build relationships with your customer base, as well as drive sales.  When used correctly, platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can increase brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website, as well as encourage customers to visit your business to purchase your product or service.  Below are our suggestions for how to best elevate your business within the community, increase conversions, and strengthen customer loyalty through your social media presence.

Create quality content your audience will value.

When using social media to market and build a client base, it is important to create quality content that users can consume and interact with. This can come in the ...

Get a beautiful dress for a fraction of the cost with these money saving tricks.

Weddings have become increasingly expensive over the years, with some couples spending as much on their big day as you would a brand new car.  One of the most important features of a wedding is the bride’s wedding gown, which can cost thousands of dollars, easily inflating your budget.  However, if you are looking to reduce costs without losing quality, and maybe have a little extra cash for the honeymoon, here are six tips to save money on your bridal gown.

1. Buy Gently Used - I know what you’re thinking, it’s bad luck to wear a used wedding gown. However, many women choose to make space in their closets by taking their gowns to consignment shops. Others brides will buy multiple dresses until they can make up their mind on which one to wear, and ...

Avoid buyer’s remorse and debt on major purchases with these helpful tips.

With it being tax season, many of our customers have a little extra money in their pocket from their state and federal tax returns. Often, people will use their tax returns for major purchases, such as a down payment on a new car, or projects like installing new counter-tops in their kitchen. However, before you run out and spend your hard earned money on a big purchase, here are five questions you should ask yourself to ensure you are spending your money wisely.

1. How will it affect people in my life? Major purchases, such as a new vehicle or home renovations, affect multiple people. When you are considering making a sizable purchase, it is important to talk to the other members of you family that will be affected. For example, before you agree to purchase that brand new ...

Spring is here and most South Carolinians are beginning their love affair with cooking outdoors, eating outdoors and just plain being outdoors!

There's no better place to enjoy those things than on your own backyard deck.

Depending on its size and design, a deck can be a good do-it-yourself project. If you and your buddies are handy, you might even be able to build one over a weekend. Some home improvement stores will provide you with design help, recommend materials, and volunteer advice if you hit a snag. There are even online guides to show you how to build a deck step by step.

But maybe you'd prefer to bring in a pro so you can kick back and just observe the deck building process. What should you ask before you hire that pro?

No matter how you plan to move forward with your deck project, there are some important ...

When you see an RV rolling down Interstate 95 or heading toward the coast, do you take a long hard look and imagine yourself inside?

Are you tired of vacationing in hotel rooms, facing the hassle of air travel and paying the cost of it all? Maybe you've already cut vacation costs by squeezing the family into your pop-up camper, but feel ready to move up to a more luxurious option.

It might be a good time to get an RV. Over 8 million households enjoy the cost-savings and freedom that comes with owning an RV. In fact, more and more families are buying RVs every year, according to a recent survey of consumers by the University of Michigan.

It's easy to see why. An RV is a very cost-effective way to travel — especially for families of four or more. A recent study by travel firm PKF Consulting revealed ...

Thinking of starting your own business? Here are our recommendations for making that dream a reality with a small business loan.

Few things are as gratifying, (or challenging) as leaving the relative safety of working for someone else to start your own small business. After all, every decision you make, from who you hire, to where you’re located, has the potential to make or break your business. It’s a nerve wracking endeavor that not everyone is cut out for, but for those who have the drive and do their homework, it can be tremendously rewarding. So if you are up to the challenge, the first obstacle you must overcome is financing the start of your business.

Unless you have already accumulated a little nest egg for your small business venture, you will likely need to get a small business loan. This a place where people mess up, either getting more ...