In 1962, a group of businessmen in a small town in North Florida united together to form First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Live Oak, as a way to provide home loans and savings accounts to their neighbors. Their passion for our local community and drive to give them the best service around has led First Federal Bank to what it is today.
After steady growth in the 1960s, First Federal expanded into Hamilton and Lafayette Counties. In the 1980s, we moved in to Columbia County and offered our first checking account. By 2010, we expanded our reach within our existing market area, opened the John S. Flood Financial Center (Operations), and opened new branches in Nassau and Baker Counties. In the early 2010s, First Federal expanded to the Florida Panhandle with branches in Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties, and Bay County in 2016. In 2018, we acquired branches in Nassau and Marion Counties in Florida, branches in Beaufort County, South Carolina, and opened a branch in Gainesville, Florida.
From the start, First Federal has been equally committed to exceptional service and value. Today, we are a community-based mutual bank that serves over 70,000 customers from 22 community banking branches, mortgage lending offices in Florida and across the Southeast and Midwest, and SBA and USDA lending offices in the Southeast. Because we are a mutual bank, we are owned by our customers and not stockholders, which allows us to be more focused on our customers’ needs.
Built on conservative yet progressive principles, over the past 5 years, First Federal has increased its business lines to include a mortgage processing company, wholesale lending, warehouse lending, consumer direct lending, and a manufactured housing lending division. This diversity has allowed First Federal to reach more people across the Southeast.
The common thread that runs through all of this is First Federal’s passion to be committed to helping our neighbors and local communities thrive. We offer a range of products and services aimed at giving our customers all the tools they need to live full lives and run successful businesses.
