Health insurance for financial advisory firms and insurance agencies in South Carolina
A advisory firm or agency in South Carolina is usually shopping for two things at once: the owner’s own policy, which pays full price above $62,600 of income this year, and some way to help staff whose median pay in South Carolina runs from $37,940 for client service staff to $98,900 for employed financial advisors. These are the South Carolina numbers for both.
Your own premium in South Carolina
The average benchmark Silver plan for a 40-year-old in South Carolina costs $564 a month in 2026. Across South Carolina’s 46 counties the median lowest-cost Silver at 40 is $552 and a family of four pays $1,764, which above $128,600 of household income is the price. Six insurers sell here. Insurers have filed an average 17.2% increase for 2027, before regulators sign off.
What you pay as the owner is deductible on Form 7206.
What your staff earn in South Carolina, and what an ICHRA has to cover
| Role | South Carolina median pay | Most they can be asked to pay, self-only | Least monthly ICHRA to pass the 2026 test* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employed financial advisors (BLS: personal financial advisors) | $98,900 | $821/mo | none needed |
| Employed insurance agents (BLS: insurance sales agents) | $51,550 | $428/mo | $124/mo |
| Client service staff (BLS: customer service representatives) | $37,940 | $315/mo | $237/mo |
BLS May 2024 medians for employees in South Carolina; 9.96% of pay is the 2026 affordability line. *Against South Carolina’s median lowest-cost Silver for a 40-year-old, $552.
- Employed financial advisors, $98,900 a year. The most they can be asked to pay is $821 a month, or $9,850 a year; any ICHRA passes the test.
- Employed insurance agents, $51,550 a year. The most they can be asked to pay is $428 a month, or $5,134 a year; an ICHRA has to put in at least $124 a month.
- Client service staff, $37,940 a year. The most they can be asked to pay is $315 a month, or $3,779 a year; an ICHRA has to put in at least $237 a month.
A full $537.50 QSEHRA leaves $14 of the $552 plan, inside every one of those limits, so none of them would qualify for a premium tax credit on top of it.
One of each on staff: the cheapest ICHRA that passes for all three costs about $4,326 a year in South Carolina, against up to $19,350 for three full self-only QSEHRAs.
What a QSEHRA covers in South Carolina
The 2026 ceiling is $6,450 a year self-only, or $537.50 a month — 95% of South Carolina’s $564 benchmark for a 40-year-old. The $13,100 family ceiling, about $1,092 a month, covers 62% of the South Carolina median family-of-four lowest-cost Silver of $1,764.
Who a advisory firm or agency can and cannot cover
Independent advisors and agents on a 1099 cannot be on the firm’s QSEHRA or ICHRA; employed advisors and service staff can. The full rules for financial advisory firms and insurance agencies cover partners, 2% shareholders and contractors in detail.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024; KFF, Marketplace Average Benchmark Premiums, 2026; CMS plan year 2026 Qualified Health Plan landscape (county premiums); IRS Publication 15-B (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits; HealthCare.gov, CHOICE Arrangements (formerly individual coverage HRAs).
Questions owners ask
How much does health insurance cost the owner of a advisory firm or agency in South Carolina?
About $564 a month for a 40-year-old on the average benchmark Silver in South Carolina in 2026, with no subsidy above $62,600 of income for one person or $128,600 for a family of four.
Can a advisory firm or agency in South Carolina reimburse staff for individual health insurance?
Yes, through a QSEHRA (up to $6,450 self-only in 2026) or an ICHRA with no cap; for employed financial advisors earning the South Carolina median of $98,900, any offer passes the 2026 affordability test against the state’s median lowest-cost Silver at 40.