Financial Services Acquisitions in South Carolina
South Carolina Financial Services Deal Themes
M&A activity across South Carolina’s financial services sector spans wealth management, investment advisory, insurance brokerage, and lending/credit services. Recent transactions show both scaled platforms expanding their advisor and client footprints and specialty firms adding targeted capabilities.
Across 2020–2026, recurring acquirers include Hub International Limited, Tangram Insurance Services, Inc., Wealth Enhancement Group, LPL Financial Holdings Inc., First Bancorp, and Sixth Street. Buyers often pair geographic expansion in South Carolina with capability additions such as retirement/private wealth, family office intelligence, reinsurance brokerage services, and investment advisory platforms.
Several deals also emphasize continuity: acquired firms frequently continue under their brands or retain management and leadership roles. Others involve bank growth through branch additions, including the First Bancorp and GrandSouth Bank consolidation.
What Stands Out
- Hub International Limited appears multiple times, strengthening retirement and private wealth capabilities through acquisitions of Creative Financial Strategies, LLC and the assets of Golden Green, Inc. d.b.a. Golden Corner Wealth Advisors.
- Insurance services buyers such as Tangram Insurance Services, Inc. expand into adjacent insurance segments, including reinsurance brokerage via the acquisition of Preferred Reinsurance Intermediaries.
- Wealth and advisory transactions often combine platform growth with advisor/team integration, such as Wealth Enhancement Group acquiring FinTrust Capital Advisors, LLC and Perigon Wealth Management acquiring Prudeo Partners.
- Banking consolidation is represented by First Bancorp’s all-stock acquisition of GrandSouth Bancorporation (parent of GrandSouth Bank), adding branches in South Carolina.
- Deal structures vary: some integrate databases into existing platforms (e.g., family office intelligence into ISS MI’s MarketPro), while others keep acquired brands and leadership intact (e.g., FRGIS).
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February 7, 2026
- Buyer
- ISS Market Intelligence (ISS MI), ISS STOXX GmbH
- Target
- Family Office Access
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
ISS Market Intelligence (ISS MI), part of ISS STOXX GmbH, has acquired Family Office Access, a U.S.-based provider of family office intelligence and investor data. The acquisition integrates Family Office Access's database into ISS MI's MarketPro platform to expand coverage of family office profiles and strengthen go-to-market intelligence for clients across the wealth and financial services ecosystem.
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January 24, 2026
- Buyer
- Warner Pacific, Lovell Minnick Partners
- Target
- Brokers Holding Group
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Addon
Warner Pacific, a PE-backed national general agency, has acquired Brokers Holding Group (BHG), a South Carolina–based general agency specializing in level-funded health plans and alternative funding strategies. The deal expands Warner Pacific’s footprint across the Southeast (South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee) and deepens its capabilities in level-funded employee benefits while BHG will continue operating under its existing brand with co-owners Scott Lee and Lee Long remaining in leadership roles.
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October 15, 2025
- Buyer
- Sixth Street
- Target
- Global Lending Services
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Global Lending Services (GLS) entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Sixth Street, a global investment firm. GLS and its long-tenured management team will continue to lead the company after the transaction; deal terms were not disclosed.
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October 31, 2024
- Buyer
- Sequoia Financial Group, LLC
- Target
- Family Asset Management
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Akron, Ohio-based Sequoia Financial Group has acquired Family Asset Management (FAM), a Charleston, South Carolina-based SEC-registered investment advisory firm with roughly $300 million in assets under management. The acquisition expands Sequoia Financial's Southeast footprint and adds FAM's high-net-worth and multigenerational family advisory capabilities to Sequoia's wealth management and Sequoia Sentinel family office services; financial terms were not disclosed.
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October 7, 2024
- Buyer
- Hub International Limited
- Target
- Creative Financial Strategies, LLC
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Hub International Limited has acquired Creative Financial Strategies, LLC, a Columbia, South Carolina-based investment and financial advisory firm. The Creative Financial Strategies team, including president Terry A. Crenshaw and EVP William H. Phillips, will join Hub Carolinas to strengthen Hub's retirement and private wealth capabilities.
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October 2, 2024
- Buyer
- Wealth Enhancement Group
- Target
- FinTrust Capital Advisors, LLC
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Addon
Wealth Enhancement Group has acquired FinTrust Capital Advisors, LLC, a hybrid RIA headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina that oversees approximately $2.39 billion in client assets. The 14-advisor team (plus 13 support staff) will join Wealth Enhancement Group as part of its continued Southeast expansion; Park Sutton Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor to FinTrust.
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February 14, 2024
- Buyer
- Perigon Wealth Management LLC
- Target
- Prudeo Partners
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Addon
Perigon Wealth Management acquired Prudeo Partners, a wealth management firm with offices in Reading, Pennsylvania and West Columbia, South Carolina, adding approximately $425 million in client assets to Perigon's platform. Terms were not disclosed; several Prudeo advisors and staff will join Perigon as partners and advisors, expanding Perigon's advisor-led footprint and AUM.
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December 31, 2023
- Buyer
- Tangram Insurance Services, Inc.
- Target
- Preferred Reinsurance Intermediaries
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Tangram Insurance Services, a national managing general agency and program manager, acquired Preferred Reinsurance Intermediaries effective December 31, 2023. The deal expands Tangram's capabilities into the reinsurance brokerage market and brings Preferred Re's reinsurance placement, specialty program development, and alternative risk capacity sourcing expertise into Tangram's platform; terms were not disclosed.
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- Buyer
- Hub International Limited
- Target
- Golden Green, Inc. d.b.a. Golden Corner Wealth Advisors
- Seller
- Golden Green, Inc., Jim Charbonneau
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
Hub International Limited acquired the assets of Golden Green, Inc. d.b.a. Golden Corner Wealth Advisors, a Seneca, South Carolina-based financial advisory firm. The Golden Corner founder Jim Charbonneau and his team will join Hub Carolinas as part of Hub's effort to strengthen its Retirement and Private Wealth capabilities; terms were not disclosed.
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January 1, 2023
- Buyer
- First Bancorp
- Target
- GrandSouth Bancorporation, GrandSouth Bank
- Seller
- GrandSouth Bancorporation, GrandSouth shareholders
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
First Bancorp (parent of First Bank) completed its acquisition of GrandSouth Bancorporation (the parent of GrandSouth Bank) effective January 1, 2023 in an all-stock merger (0.91 shares of First Bancorp per GrandSouth share). The deal expands First Bank's presence in South Carolina by adding GrandSouth's eight branches and is expected to accelerate First Bancorp's South Carolina growth, creating a combined company with approximately $12 billion in assets and 118 branches.
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November 3, 2022
- Buyer
- LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
- Target
- Financial Resources Group Investment Services
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
LPL Financial Holdings Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Financial Resources Group Investment Services (FRGIS) in an equity purchase that included $140 million paid at closing plus additional earn-outs. FRGIS — a Fort Mill, South Carolina-based advisor and financial institution support business serving roughly $40 billion in assets across ~800 advisors and 85 financial institutions — will continue to operate independently and retain its brand and leadership following the transaction.
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September 20, 2022
- Buyer
- PCF Insurance Services
- Target
- Peak Performance Team
- Seller
- Peak Performance Team / its owners, R. Michael Burgholzer
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
PCF Insurance Services, a top-20 U.S. insurance brokerage headquartered in Lehi, Utah, has acquired Peak Performance Team (PPT), a Surfside Beach, South Carolina–based finance & insurance (F&I) broker that provides extended warranties, vehicle service contracts, GAP and ancillary products to auto dealerships. The deal closed in mid‑July 2022 (terms undisclosed) and is intended to expand PCF's F&I product capabilities and national footprint.
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November 17, 2021
- Buyer
- CURO Group Holdings Corp.
- Target
- Heights Finance
- Seller
- Milestone Partners
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
CURO Group Holdings Corp. completed the acquisition of Heights Finance from private equity firm Milestone Partners for $360 million ($335 million cash and $25 million stock). The deal expands CURO's branch footprint and installment-loan capabilities, adding roughly 400 branches and a loan portfolio serving underbanked and near-prime consumers across 11 U.S. states.
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October 26, 2020
- Buyer
- First American Financial Corporation
- Target
- ServiceMac, LLC
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Location
- South Carolina, United States
- Type
- Buyout
First American Financial Corporation has completed the acquisition of ServiceMac, LLC, a mortgage subservicing firm. The deal makes ServiceMac a wholly‑owned subsidiary of First American to expand its mortgage servicing capabilities and accelerate product innovation across the mortgage life cycle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which acquisition themes show up most in South Carolina financial services deals?
Common themes include wealth management/RIA expansion, insurance brokerage and program capabilities, and—separately—banking consolidation through branch additions.
Are South Carolina acquisitions in financial services typically brand- and leadership-continuity focused?
Several deals indicate continuity. For example, FRGIS is expected to retain its brand and leadership, and Global Lending Services management will continue after Sixth Street’s acquisition.
What kinds of financial services subsectors are represented in these South Carolina transactions?
The page includes wealth management and investment advisory firms, insurance brokerage and reinsurance intermediaries, and at least one banking acquisition involving First Bancorp.
Which notable buyers recur across multiple South Carolina deals?
Recurring names include Hub International Limited, Tangram Insurance Services, Inc., Wealth Enhancement Group, LPL Financial Holdings Inc., First Bancorp, and Sixth Street.