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 ...

St. Patrick's Day brings to mind that famous pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Have you thought about if you could build your own pot of gold?

Your parents have probably stressed the importance of putting money aside for, well, as long as you can remember. “For a rainy day”; “for that vacation you want to take”; “for a house”; “for your future.” But let's face it: saving money is hard work. Between rent, gas, credit cards, and various other odds and ends, you're not usually left with much to spend – let alone save (especially in your 20's and early 30's!).

The good news is that saving money isn't nearly as difficult as you might imagine. In fact, that saying you've heard all your life is actually true: a little goes a long way. Saving doesn't mean going without and it also doesn't mean having to ...

Recently, readers of The News Journal voted that we are “Florence's Friendliest Bank" and "Florence's Finest Place To Work.” We're very proud. But we're also very grateful. Because without you, our customers, we would not be the place that we are.

We try hard to be different from other banks. Honors like this tell us that our efforts are succeeding.

The way we look at it, we're not just a banking business. We've got deep roots in the communities we serve, and affection for the people who live there. So, it's important that we do whatever we can to help make your lives better.

Those of us who work at First Reliance are proud to contribute over 800 hours of volunteer service every year. We were especially excited this year at your response to our “Feeding Neighbors In Need” campaign. We collected over 300 pounds of non-perishable food items and ...

Gen Y. The Millennial Generation. Echo Boomers. If you were born between 1980 and 2000, you're one of them.

Each of you is a unique individual, but your generation has one big thing in common. You see things differently than any other generation before you.

Yours is truly a generation that is changing the way the world functions. From banking to the 2013 Oscars, you're making your mark and blazing new trails.

We want you to know that First Reliance Bank is listening to what you have to say.

We understand that you grew up with sophisticated communication, media and digital technologies. They're just part of your daily life, as is social media.

We've learned that you're comfortable with credit. You're aware that how you manage your money is crucial to reaching your life goals.

You've told us that you want more from your bank. You want to be heard ...

Looking for an affordable and unique way to entertain family and guests on your child's birthday? Thought about holding a theme party, but felt it would bust your budget?

With a little creativity and tips from First Reliance Bank associate Rick Reynolds' wife, Kim, you can stage an affordable theme birthday party and make memories that will last a lifetime.

This year, this full-time teacher and creative Mom came up with another engaging idea: a Western theme birthday party. For ...