North Carolina RIA Landscape — 2025

A data-driven overview of SEC-registered wealth advisory firms headquartered in North Carolina, including growth trends, succession risk analysis, and M&A opportunity signals.

Source: SEC Form ADV · Updated Q4 2024

Total Firms

384

Total AUM?

$327.2B

Median AUM

$266M

13F Filers

75

AUM Tier Distribution

Under $100M53

$100M–$500M212

$500M–$1B49

$1B–$5B60

$5B+10

State Snapshot

Total Firms384

Total AUM$327.2B

Median AUM$266M

13F Filers75

High Succession Risk40

Elevated Succession Risk28

Succession Risk Breakdown

High

40 firms (10%)

Elevated

28 firms (7%)

Moderate

100 firms (26%)

Lower

214 firms (56%)

Growth Leaders — Wealth Advisory Firms

Firm	City	AUM	3Y CAGR	Succession
CURI WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC	RALEIGH	$1.4B	+127.2%	Lower
HATTERAS ALTERNATIVE MUTUAL FUNDS, LLC	RALEIGH	$2.8B	+106.3%	Moderate
IFC CORE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC	RALEIGH	$758M	+83.1%	Lower
GUARDIAN WEALTH ADVISORS, LLC	RALEIGH	$2.1B	+78.2%	Lower
CCP TRANSITION, LLC	CHARLOTTE	$505M	+76.0%	Lower
TIVERTON ADVISORS, LLC	RALEIGH	$2.0B	+72.0%	Lower
FIRST CITIZENS ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC	RALEIGH	$167M	+70.6%	Moderate
TANNIN CAPITAL, LLC	CHARLOTTE	$512M	+69.5%	Lower

M&A Opportunity Signals

🎯

67Acquisition candidates

Firms with elevated/high succession risk and AUM $100M–$5B

📈

31Growing but vulnerable

Positive 3Y CAGR with high succession risk — attractive for acquirers

📉

9Mid-market shrinking

AUM $100M–$1B with negative 3Y CAGR and elevated+ succession risk

🔒 Top 25 Acquisition Targets — Ranked by Composite Score

Rank	Firm	AUM	Score
1	ZURAW FINANCIAL ADVISORS, LLC	$520M	55
2	CAPITAL ADVISERS, INC.	$620M	50
3	CAROLINA WEALTH MANAGEMENT, INC.	$712M	47.5
4	DEFENDER CAPITAL LLC	$510M	46.1
5	SHAH CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC	$768M	43.8
6	ARBOR INVESTMENT ADVISORS, LLC	$1.1B	43.4

🔒

Acquisition Target Rankings

Full ranked list of 25 acquisition targets with composite scores based on succession risk, growth trajectory, and peer benchmarking.

Methodology. This report covers SEC-registered investment advisers classified as wealth advisory firms (filter: is_wealth_advisory = true) headquartered in North Carolina. AUM figures are drawn from the most recent Form ADV filing. Succession risk tiers are computed using a proprietary 5-pillar model incorporating founder tenure, ownership concentration, AUM dependency, team depth, and filing recency. Growth CAGR is calculated from the three most recent annual filings where available. Acquisition scores blend succession risk (40%), AUM growth trajectory (35%), and national peer rank (25%). Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.