First Citizens Bank will open a new location for the Moore County offices of its Private Wealth Advisory Services group.

The new office will open on Monday, Feb. 9, at 105 Aviemore Drive, directly across the street from the First Citizens main office, 40 Page Drive, in Pinehurst.

"We look forward to all of our clients visiting our new office," said Moore County Client Adviser Sherwood Blackwood. "Our goal at First Citizens is to provide the people and businesses of the Sandhills with exceptional service and comprehensive financial products."

The commercial banking division, led by Eddie Bray, along with mortgage banker Cori Waldschmidt, will also relocate to the new office. The current Private Wealth office at 5 Region Circle will close following the relocation.

First Citizens Private Wealth Advisory Services features a team of wealth management professionals who serve the investment and asset management needs of its clients. First Citizens Private Wealth provides guidance and expertise in many key areas, including investing, trusts, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance and business services.

Headquartered in Raleigh and founded in 1898, First Citizens Bank operates 345 branches in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland. The bank is a major subsidiary of First Citizens BancShares Inc., which has $16.7 billion in assets.

First Citizens Bank has received five-star superior rankings by two independent banking rating firms: BauerFinancial Inc. of Coral Gables, Fla., and Bankrate.com. BauerFinancial's rating, the highest given by the firm, is based on the overall financial picture of the institution and indicates that First Citizens is one of the strongest banks in the nation.

Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound superior rating indicates that, as of Sept. 30, 2008, First Citizens Bank "exhibited a superior condition, characterized by normal overall, sustainable profitability, a very high measure of asset quality, very strong capitalization and ample liquidity."