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Your Community Bank

Personal Finances 2 min read

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If you live in North Carolina or South Carolina, you have a ton of banking options right outside your door. Large financial institutions may seem like your best option for banking services at first, but community banks typically offer more consumer-friendly services and fewer fees.

Choose the Right Community Bank

First Bank is your community bank that cares about local roots. Since 1935, we have been providing our customers with community-centric banking services, including:

    • Personal banking options, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, debit and credit cards, personal loans, and more.
    • Business banking options, like checking and savings accounts, business loans, merchant services, and treasury services.
    • Wealth management services, like asset managements, mutual funds, and estate services.
    • Insurance products, such as life and health insurance for individuals and commercial insurance for businesses.
    • Mortgage loan options, including conventional, government, jumbo, first-time home buyer, and more.

    Your Community Bank

    The Benefits of a Community Bank

    According to Bankrate.com there are many other advantages to choosing a community bank over a big bank.

    For example:

    • Community banks are relationship-based, and the employees typically know you and your whole family on a personal level. Community banks are also smaller and can therefore offer personalized service.
    • Community banks also typically offer lower fees and lower balance requirements than big banks.
    • Being smaller allows community banks to have more lending flexibility than bigger banks
    • Community banks tend to stick to their local roots, which means they strive to offer great services with low fees and give back to the community.

    First Bank is small enough to know you like a neighbor, large enough to handle all of your banking needs, and dedicated to supporting our local communities. To learn more about us and our banking services, visit your local First Bank branch today.

    ———

    Sources:

    Bankrate: http://www.bankrate.com/banking/community-banks-vs-big-banks/

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