SEC-registered independent wealth management RIA
Colonial Trust Advisors, Inc.
As of its Form ADV filed June 10, 2026, Colonial Trust Advisors, Inc., an SEC-registered independent wealth management RIA in Spartanburg, South Carolina, reported $1.9 billion in regulatory assets under management across 2,093 accounts, ranking #6 among independent RIAs in South Carolina by assets.
Registration
- Main office
- Spartanburg, SC
- Registration
- SEC-registered, Approved
- CRD number
- 110257
- SEC file number
- 801-53402
- Registered since
- February 21, 1997
- Latest Form ADV filing
- June 10, 2026
- Organized as
- Corporation
- Fiscal year ends
- December
- Other offices
- 3
Key figures
- Regulatory assets under management
- $1.9 billion
- Discretionary
- $1.7 billion (92.2%)
- Non-discretionary
- $145.0 million
- Accounts
- 2,093 (1,982 discretionary)
- Clients
- 959, approximate as reported
- Employees
- 28
- Advisory staff
- 15 performing investment advisory functions
- Average account
- $885,301
- Asset growth, 1 year
- 11.0% (from $1.7 billion a year earlier)
- Asset growth, 3-year annual rate
- 15.8% (from $1.2 billion three years earlier)
- Asset growth, 5-year annual rate
- 11.0% (from $1.1 billion five years earlier)
- Client growth, 1 year
- 2.5% (from 936)
Independent wealth management RIA: individual and high net worth clients hold at least half of its regulatory assets, it offers financial planning or portfolio management for individuals, and it is not a broker-dealer, a bank or part of one by the directory's rules. How firms are classed.
Growth rates come from the SEC's yearly snapshots and are left blank when the years are not comparable.
Rankings
Among independent wealth management RIAs.
| Ranking | Nationally | In South Carolina | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest independent RIAs by assets under management | #668 | #6 | $1.9 billion |
| Fastest-growing independent RIAs over one year | #4,847 | #52 | 11.0%from $1.7 billion |
| Fastest-growing independent RIAs over three years | #2,661 | #29 | 15.8%from $1.2 billion |
| Fastest-growing independent RIAs over five years | #2,190 | #24 | 11.0%from $1.1 billion |
| Independent RIAs with the biggest asset gains over one year | #1,186 | #9 | $183.2 million |
| Independent RIAs with the most clients | #1,009 | #9 | 959 |
| Independent RIAs with the fastest client growth over one year | #3,380 | #37 | 2.5%from 936 |
| Independent RIAs with the most accounts | #1,098 | #9 | 2,093 |
| Independent RIAs with the most advisory staff | #662 | #6 | 15 |
| Independent RIAs with the most high net worth clients | #698 | #7 | 356 |
| Independent RIAs with the most CFP professionals | #904 | #6 | 4 |
Assets over time
Data table
| As of | RAUM |
|---|---|
| October 1, 2010 | $363.8 million |
| October 3, 2011 | $390.6 million |
| October 1, 2012 | $394.6 million |
| October 1, 2013 | $443.4 million |
| October 1, 2014 | $513.2 million |
| October 1, 2015 | $568.8 million |
| October 3, 2016 | $548.7 million |
| October 2, 2017 | $629.7 million |
| October 1, 2018 | $765.8 million |
| October 1, 2019 | $769.4 million |
| October 1, 2020 | $958.6 million |
| October 4, 2021 | $1.1 billion |
| October 3, 2022 | $1.3 billion |
| October 5, 2023 | $1.2 billion |
| October 1, 2024 | $1.4 billion |
| September 2, 2025 | $1.7 billion |
| October 2, 2026 | $1.9 billion |
Clients and services
Client mix
| Measure | Bar | RAUM |
|---|---|---|
| High net worth individuals 356 clients | $1.3 billion | |
| Individuals (other than high net worth) 539 clients | $279.7 million | |
| Pension and profit sharing plans 27 clients | $107.1 million | |
| Corporations or other businesses 15 clients | $91.7 million | |
| Charitable organizations 21 clients | $67.7 million |
How the firm is paid
- A percentage of assets under management
- Fixed fees
Advisory services
- Financial planning
- Portfolio management for individuals or small businesses
- Portfolio management for businesses or institutional clients
- Pension consulting
Financial planning clients (Item 5.H): 11-25.
Wrap fee program sponsor or portfolio manager: no.
Other business, affiliations and custody
Other business activities (Item 6.A)
None reported.
Financial industry affiliations (Item 7.A)
- Trust company
Custody (Item 9)
The firm reported custody of client cash or securities, $534.3 million in total.
Investment adviser representatives
- IARs registered with the firm
- 15
- Also registered through a broker-dealer
- 0
- Employees who are IARs (Form ADV 5.B(3))
- 15
Designations held by the firm's IARs: CFP 4, CFA 3, PFS 1.
15 of the firm's 15 IARs are registered in jurisdictions that require IAR CE. IAR CE requirements by state.
Counts only. AdvisorIQ does not list individual people.
Disclosures
On Form ADV Item 11 the firm answered yes to 0 disclosure questions. See the detail on IAPD.
Succession and acquired firms
On Form ADV Item 4 the firm did not report succeeding to another adviser's business.
Similar-sized firms in South Carolina
| Firm | City | RAUM |
|---|---|---|
| Abacus Planning Group, Inc. | Columbia | $2.2 billion |
| CCM Investment Advisers, LLC | Columbia | $1.5 billion |
| Anchor Investment Management | Columbia | $1.5 billion |
| Apollon Financial, LLC | Mount Pleasant | $1.4 billion |
| Verity Investment Partners | Beaufort | $1.4 billion |
The five independent RIAs nearest in regulatory assets with a main office in the same state.
Elsewhere
- Colonial Trust Advisors, Inc. on IAPD: Form ADV, brochures and disclosure detail.
- Firm website: www.colonialtrust.com
- Independent RIAs in South Carolina
Firm data as of October 2, 2026, from ia100226.zip. Figures are as the firm reported them; corrections are made on Form ADV and appear after the next monthly reload.
Data as of October 2, 2026, from Form ADV. Sources: SEC registered adviser data (ia100226.zip) and IAPD compilation reports. How the directory is built.