The Top Financial Advisors in South Carolina

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Apollon Wealth Management is the top-rated financial advisory firm in South Carolina. This fee-based practice has a large team of advisors managing more individual accounts and more assets than any other firm on this list. As for Apollon's client types, it primarily serves individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, estates, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations and retirement plans.

The Apollon team comprises advisors who hold a range of professional credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), retirement income certified professional (RICP) and chartered life underwriter (CLU) designations, among others. Conflicts of interest can arise when advisors sell investment products and/or insurance for commissions, but Apollon says it abides by a fiduciary obligation to work in each client’s best interests.  

Apollon Wealth Management begins its investment process by thoroughly understanding each client’s financial situation, goals and risk tolerance, often through customized financial planning. The firm primarily employs fundamental analysis, supplemented with tactical strategies that can involve market timing. While hypothetical backtesting informs model development, Apollon Wealth actively monitors and adjusts portfolios in real time. The firm may draw upon third-party model allocations but retains discretion over final implementation.

Overall, Apollon Wealth emphasizes a long-term, diversified approach, with flexibility to adopt shorter-term positions as needed, tailoring recommendations to each client’s unique objectives and constraints.

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SouthState Private Capital Management in Columbia is a fee-only advisory firm that generally requires a $1 million minimum in manageable assets, though minimums may vary by client and business line. SouthState works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, companies, partnerships, charitable organizations, foundations, endowments, 401(k) plans, government entities and labor unions. 

The firm provides its clients with investment management, financial planning, consulting and retirement plan services. It also offers business succession planning, estate administration and executive compensation planning. As a fee-only practice, neither SouthState nor its representatives earn additional compensation through the sale of financial products and insurance.

While the firm is headquartered in Columbia, it has advisors throughout the Southeast. The team holds a range of professional credentials, including the CFP®, accredited asset management specialist (AAMS), certified wealth specialist (CWS) and certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA) designations.

When it comes to investment strategies, SouthState looks to tailor its approach to the needs of each client. This process involves considering factors such as a client’s risk tolerance, time horizon, objectives and financial situation. The firm may use unaffiliated independent managers, direct indexing, private investments, interval funds, structured notes and environmental, social and governance investing, where appropriate.

Advisors at the firm typically use a mix of mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks, bonds and other securities when constructing client portfolios. The firm and its advisors primarily use fundamental analysis, asset allocation and periodic rebalancing to inform investment decisions. Portfolios are ultimately managed in a way that reflects the investment objectives and financial situation of each client.

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Foster Victor Wealth Advisors is a fee-based practice located in Greenville. It works with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, insurance companies and corporations. 

The firm does not have an overall stated minimum fee or portfolio value for investment management. However, certain services have separate minimums, including $250,000 for employer-sponsored retirement plan accounts managed through Pontera, $5,000 for the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios program and $50,000 for tax-loss harvesting.

Advisors on staff hold a variety of professional certifications, including the CFP®, CFA, ChFC, RICP and CLU designations, as well as the certified public accountant (CPA), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), among others. However, as a fee-based practice, advisors may earn additional compensation for selling investment products and/or insurance, creating a conflict of interest. Keep in mind that the firm is required to act in clients' best interests as a fiduciary.

Foster Victor Wealth Advisors tailors its advisory services, including its investment strategies and philosophies, to the individual needs of its clients. It may use model portfolios and third-party advisors to do so. Advisors at the firm typically use a mix of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), debt securities and individual equities when constructing client portfolios. Portfolios are ultimately managed in a way that reflects the investment objectives and financial situation of each client.

Advisors at Foster Victor use fundamental analysis to evaluate potential investments, focusing on the financial condition and competitive position of a fund or company. They also seek to diversify client portfolios as a way to manage risk while pursuing returns.

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Discipline Wealth Solutions is a fee-based practice located in Greenville. It works with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as corporations, unaffiliated registered investment advisors and defined contribution retirement plans. The firm does not have a set minimum account size requirement.

The firm provides its clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, cash management, third-party and sub-advisory investment management and company-sponsored retirement plan consulting. Assets may be managed on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. As a fee-based firm, some representatives may earn insurance commissions in addition to advisory fees, which can create a potential conflict of interest.

While its headquarters are in South Carolina, the firm has advisors throughout the country.

When it comes to investment strategies, Discipline Wealth Solutions looks to tailor its approach to the needs of each client. Its financial planning services may cover net worth statements, cash flow analysis, tax return review, insurance review, estate plan review, retirement analysis and education planning. 

Advisors at the firm may use asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, technical analysis, long-term purchases and short-term purchases to inform investment decisions. Portfolios may include cash, stocks, mutual funds, bonds and annuities, depending on client objectives and risk tolerance.

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Permanens Capital, which does business as PermCap Investment Office, is a fee-only advisory firm located in Charleston. It works with high-net-worth individuals, select families, ultra-high-net-worth families, endowments, private foundations and family trusts. The firm also serves sovereign tribal nations, institutions, 403(b) plans and private fund investors. The firm generally does not impose a minimum portfolio size or minimum fee for separate account management, though minimum initial investments for managed funds generally range from $50,000 to $1 million.

The firm provides its clients with investment management, outsourced chief investment officer services, multi-family office services and financial planning services. It also offers private fund management, special purpose vehicle management, family office administration, tax planning, estate planning, philanthropic planning and asset monitoring. 

Permanens Capital tailors its advisory services, including its investment strategies and philosophies, to the individual needs of its clients. Advisors at the firm may use a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, actively managed bond portfolios, independent managers and private pooled investment vehicles when constructing client portfolios. The firm also manages private funds with strategies that include alternatives, diversified fixed income, equities, floating-rate credit, precious metals, short-duration high yield and opportunistic investments. 

The firm has one regulatory disclosure listed on its Form ADV, which you can learn more about by using the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure system. 

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Colonial Trust Advisors in Spartanburg is the oldest firm on this list, having been founded in 1996. This fee-based practice works primarily with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals. The firm also serves pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations. Colonial provides its clients with investment portfolio management services as well as financial planning and educational services. Assets are mainly managed on a discretionary basis.

In addition to its headquarters in Spartanburg, Colonial has offices in Greenville, Charleston and Columbia. Advisors on staff hold a combination of the following credentials: CFP®, CFA, CPA, accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), chartered retirement plans specialist (CRPS) and others. Just keep in mind that advisors may earn additional compensation from the sale of insurance, which is a potential conflict of interest. 

Like many financial advisory firms, Colonial works with clients to develop tailored investment strategies that work with their financial situations. This process involves meeting with clients to determine such information as a client's tolerance for risk and liquidity needs. Upon gathering the necessary information, advisors can begin to manage the client’s money in an individualized manner.

Advisors may use a wide range of securities to include in client portfolios. Such investments may include corporate debt, mutual funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), government bonds, stocks and more. The firm and its advisors primarily use fundamental analysis, qualitative analysis and asset allocation techniques to inform investment decisions.

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Curran Financial Partners in Daniel Island is a fee-based practice that does not have a minimum account size requirement, and as a result, works primarily with individuals below the high-net-worth threshold. However, Curran also serves high-net-worth individuals and at least one investment company. 

Curran Financial Partners offers both passive and active portfolio management based on clients' goals, risk tolerances and time horizons. The firm's comprehensive financial planning services address cash flow, debt management, college and retirement planning, estate and tax strategies, insurance reviews and investment analysis. Additionally, the firm serves as sub-advisor for the God Bless America ETF (YALL), selecting securities based on specific investment criteria.

The firm's active management relies on examining chart patterns, momentum and relative strength to identify sectors that may outperform market benchmarks while acknowledging the unpredictability of market trends. Curran's passive strategy emphasizes diversification through low-cost index funds or ETFs, carefully balancing distinct asset classes to achieve targeted relationships among correlation, risk and return.

As a fee-based firm, advisors can earn additional compensation from selling insurance, which presents a conflict of interest that you'll want to be aware of. However, the firm and its advisors are required, as fiduciaries, to disclose and mititgate such conflicts. 

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Greenwood Capital Associates in Greenwood works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pensions and profit-sharing plans, charities, state governments and businesses. Greenwood provides investment advice and investment management to its clients, along with financial and retirement planning services. The fee-only firm manages assets on a discretionary basis. In addition to the office in Greenwood, the firm has an office in Greenville. 

When it comes to investment strategies, Greenwood Capital Associates looks to tailor its approach to the needs of each client. This involves getting to know each client on an individual level and meeting to discuss such factors as a client's time horizon, liquidity needs and general investment objectives. Greenwood Capital combines fundamental, technical, cyclical and active risk analyses to guide asset allocation and security selection. The firm's investment committee meets weekly to evaluate economic indicators, interest rates, corporate earnings, as well as monetary and fiscal policies, adjusting sector and company weightings accordingly.

For fixed income portfolios, the firm uses a top-down approach emphasizing duration, credit quality and industry exposure. Advisors aim to preserve capital and maximize returns through investment-grade corporate bonds, government and agency bonds and municipal bonds. Greenwood Capital may also use long-term trading, short-term trading and options writing to implement its strategies.

The Greenwood Capital team comprises CFP® professionals, CFA charterholders and other credentialed advisors. 

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Fee-based Anchor Investment Management in Columbia has been in business since 2000. It works with both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations. Anchor provides both investment management and financial planning services to its clients. It also provides individual retirement advice and consulting services for retirement plan fiduciaries. 

All investment decisions are guided by the client’s investment policy statement. Anchor Investment Management primarily allocates assets to both value and growth equity securities, with an emphasis on large-cap companies and selective use of small- and mid-cap stocks, mutual funds and ETFs for diversification. The firm's fundamental analysis considers factors like financial strength ratios, price-to-earnings ratios, dividend yields and growth rates. Anchor may overweight sectors deemed to have above-average earnings potential.

Fixed income securities, which generally comprise corporate, municipal and government debt, are used for income, capital preservation  and liquidity. For short-term needs, they utilize money market funds. 

The Anchor Investment Management team includes CFP® professionals, as well as advisors who hold the CFA and certified invement management analyst (CIMA) designations. As a fee-based practice, certain representatives are eligible to earn additional compensation from selling securities and/or insurance. This compensation model creates a potential conflict of interest that the firm must disclose and work to mitigate.

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CORE Advisory Group is a fee-based firm located in Rock Hill. It works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charitable organizations, corporations and other businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm does not have a single account minimum. Instead, minimums vary based on the type of investment management services you receive, ranging from $5,000 to $250,000.

The firm provides its clients with financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting and access to the Core Advisory Group Wrap Fee Program. Core Advisory Group may also sell life insurance and related products, including disability, long-term care and annuity products. Conflicts of interest can arise when advisors sell investment products or insurance for commissions, but the firm says it abides by a fiduciary obligation to work in each client's best interests.

Core Advisory Group's separately managed account assets are primarily allocated to securities issued by registered investment companies or business development companies. The firm also reports allocations to exchange-traded equity securities, cash and cash equivalents, investment-grade corporate bonds and non-investment-grade corporate bonds.

Portfolios are ultimately managed in a way that reflects the investment objectives and financial situation of each client. The provided materials do not list specific professional certifications held by the firm’s advisors.