South Carolina adviser discretion bonds.
$525 flat.
A South Carolina investment adviser with discretionary authority over client funds but no custody must keep a minimum net worth of $35,000 or post a $35,000 surety bond in its place, under S.C. Code Ann. § 35-1-411 and Regulation 13-406. The Attorney General's Securities Division administers it. Ours is $525 flat.
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How much does a South Carolina adviser discretion bond cost?
$525 at the $35,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Adviser bonds are among the simplest filings in surety. Here is the entire process:
Apply online
Firm details, an effective date, and a term. That is the application — no financial statements, and any credit screen is a soft pull that never shows as a hard inquiry.
Pay & e-sign
This bond is checkout-priced at $525 flat, so it issues the moment you pay — your executed bond and power of attorney generate on the spot.
File with the Securities Division
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your investment adviser registration at the Attorney General's Securities Division. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
South Carolina registers investment advisers under the Uniform Securities Act of 2005, with the Attorney General as the Administrator and the Securities Division doing the day-to-day work. Section 35-1-411 authorizes financial and bonding requirements by rule, and Regulation 13-406 supplies the figures.
An adviser who has discretionary authority over client funds or securities but does not have custody must maintain a minimum net worth of $35,000 at all times. An adviser who cannot show that net worth posts a $35,000 surety bond instead, from a bonding company qualified to do business in South Carolina. Take custody and the tier moves to $50,000.
It is not insurance for you — the bond stands behind your compliance with the Act, giving a harmed client a source of recovery, and if the surety pays a claim you repay the surety. Registration renews annually through IARD, so the bond has to stay continuously on file; we track the term and send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out.
You need this bond if you're
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the $35,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen at checkout.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the Securities Division. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your investment adviser registration at the Attorney General's Securities Division. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $525 at the $35,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — firm details, an effective date, and a term. That is the application.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other South Carolina bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your adviser registration today.
$525 flat, issued the moment you pay, soft pull only. Free until issued.