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The First

Subsidiary of The First Bancshares, Inc.

thefirstbank.com

Estate planning and settlement at The First

Report a death at 1-877-367-5371

The First merged into Renasant BankMerged, effective April 2025

The First Bank merged into Renasant Bank on April 1, 2025, and former The First accounts are now Renasant Bank accounts. The systems conversion ran from August 1 to August 4, 2025. Renasant Customer Experience Center: 1-877-367-5371.

The procedures on this page reflect The First's accounts during the transition.Renasant Bank estate planning page →
Verified Sep 2026Source →

How your The First accounts transfer at death depends on how each one is titled and whether a beneficiary is on file. Of those, 12 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Getting these details right keeps assets out of probate and ensures they reach the intended recipients.

To add or update beneficiaries at The First, account holders work through direct contact with the institution.

The First provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.

The First operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.


Frequently asked questions

The First Bank, the Hattiesburg, Mississippi bank owned by The First Bancshares, Inc., merged into Renasant Bank on April 1, 2025, with Renasant Bank as the surviving bank. Customer accounts moved to Renasant's systems from August 1 to August 4, 2025, and since August 4, 2025 former The First deposit accounts are governed by the Renasant Deposit Account Agreement. Renasant's Customer Experience Center is at 1-877-367-5371 (Monday through Friday 7 AM to 7 PM CST, Saturday 8 AM to 2 PM CST) and customerservice@renasant.com.

Usually not. Renasant states that most customer account numbers stayed the same; some changed because they duplicated an existing Renasant account number or did not fit Renasant's format, and those account holders were sent a letter in July 2025 with the new Renasant account and routing number. At the close of business on August 1, 2025, Renasant produced a special statement showing all activity on the former The First account since its last statement.

For consumer checking accounts opened on or after May 9, 2025: First Private Checking and First Private Physicians Checking became Private Client Checking; First Secure Checking became Interest Checking; Founder's Account, First Freedom Checking, First Freedom Checking 2, First Select Checking 2 and The First Step Checking became Simple Checking. Checking accounts opened before May 9, 2025 were given their new type by separate letter. FFB Savings, First Savings, First Savings Promo, SGB Regular Savings and Christmas Club became Regular Savings; Piggy Bank Savings became Children's Savings; First Advantage Money Market 1 and First Prime Savings became Personal High Yield Money Market; First Private Money Market became Private Client Money Market; several money market accounts kept their type. Certificates of deposit and IRAs became Renasant certificates and IRAs at the same rate and term through maturity, and an Investment IRA with no maturity date became a Saver's Certificate of Deposit maturing February 1, 2027.

Renasant's Conversion Guide states that deposits of The First Bank "have been insured separately by the FDIC and will continue to be insured separately for a period of at least six months, which began on April 1, 2025," and that a depositor with deposits at both banks could lose coverage once the six-month period ended and the deposits were combined at Renasant.

Elan Financial Services. Renasant's Disclosure Booklet, under "Visa Consumer and Small Business Credit Cards", describes Elan as "also used by The First", states that the Visa credit card continued without interruption after the merger, and states that Renasant-branded Visa credit cards are issued by U.S. Bank National Association d/b/a Elan Financial Services, which owns and services the card accounts and is not an affiliate of Renasant Bank. Renasant lists 1-866-552-8855 for credit card assistance.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·

Sources

Data sourced from The First primary sources (12 pages reviewed). How we research.

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Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-7:00 PM CT; Saturday 8:00 AM-2:00 PM CT
Verified Sep 2026

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