Pilot Financial was officially founded in 2001, and we’re proud to be celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. But the truth is that our history goes back much further than that. In honor of Pilot’s quarter-century anniversary, we wanted to take a step back to share the full history and trajectory of the company — starting all the way back in 1903.
Early 1900s: The Origins of Pilot
The companies were innovative from the start. Pilot Financial traces its roots to two of the earliest insurance carriers in North Carolina. Pilot Life (then known as Southern Loan and Trust) was founded in 1903 and claims to have been the first local company to sell a life insurance policy in North Carolina. Jefferson-Standard Life followed in 1907 and became North Carolina’s largest corporation. In 1912, Jefferson-Standard merged with another insurance company, Greensboro Insurance Company, and moved its headquarters to Greensboro, NC.
In 1923, the Jefferson-Standard Building was completed in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, reaching a height of 233 feet with 18 floors. At the time, it was the tallest office building in the South and from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta. In 1976, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
1930: The Beginning of a Partnership
Jefferson-Standard and Pilot Life operated as separate entities during their first chapter. However, in 1930, Jefferson-Standard bought a majority stake in Pilot Life. Although the two organizations agreed to maintain their independence, this marked the beginning of a new relationship that would later become a powerful partnership.
1968-1987: An Official Merger and the Birth of a New Company
Jefferson-Standard and Pilot Life continued to develop closer ties in the decades following the 1930s. In 1968, a reorganization created a new holding company named Jefferson-Pilot Corporation. Then, after nearly 20 years of operating separately, the two companies officially merged in 1987 to form the Jefferson-Pilot Life Insurance Company.
1997: Purchase of Chubb Securities and Establishing a Broker-Dealer
One of the pivotal moments in Jefferson-Pilot’s history came in 1997, with the opportunity to purchase Chubb Securities. This gave Jefferson-Pilot new capabilities as a broker-dealer and allowed the firm to branch into the securities business alongside its legacy life insurance business. The Piedmont Agency of Jefferson-Pilot — the predecessor of present-day Pilot Financial — also began serving as an Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction for the broker-dealer’s advisors at this time.
2001: Independence and the Birth of Pilot Financial
In 2001, the Piedmont Agency of Jefferson-Pilot became independent, and in August of that year, Pilot Financial Advisors, Inc., led by Roger Seigler, was formed to support life insurance agents and financial advisors. This is the start of the modern Pilot that lives on today.
As Pilot officially embarked on this new chapter, the firm wanted to preserve a tangible link to its long history. When it was time for Pilot Financial to move into a new office building in the early 2000s, the firm asked to purchase of one of the original four cornerstones from the historic Pilot Life Building in Greensboro. Pilot Life agreed to the sale for the symbolic sum of $1, and the cornerstone now stands at the front of the Pilot Financial headquarters, serving as a reminder of the firm’s roots and its evolution into an independent advisory organization.
2006-2020: Growth, Partnership, and the Number One OSJ
In 2006, Jefferson-Pilot merged with Lincoln Financial Group, and Pilot Financial continued to serve as an OSJ for Lincoln. Four years later, a new partnership opportunity emerged for Pilot: the firm’s president at the time, Roger Seigler, created a partnership with Chris Roney, whose OSJ was the second-largest in the Lincoln network at the time. This merger greatly increased Pilot’s capabilities and ability to serve its advisors. Under the Pilot Financial umbrella, Pilot Financial Advisors, Inc continued to support independent advisors as a life brokerage organization. Pilot Financial Distributors, LLC was formed to support advisors that affiliated with Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation and PFD’s Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ). By 2020, Pilot Financial became the number one OSJ at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation.
2022-Present: Joining LPL and a Renewed Commitment to Service
Continuing its growth and commitment to advisors, Pilot merged with RD Financial Services, LLC in 2022 and, once again, doubled the size of Pilot Financial.
After the sale of Lincoln in 2024, Pilot joined a new independent broker-dealer, LPL. As an OSJ for LPL, Pilot has recommitted to building deep, lasting relationships with advisors. Under LPL, the Pilot team works with its advisor partners not just to process approvals and provide compliance support, but to serve as a genuine strategic partner that can help drive business to the next level.
As we look back on the past 25 years of Pilot Financial, it’s amazing to see how we’ve grown from a firm with just one other employee to where we are today, supporting hundreds of advisors. We’re proud of our deep history and roots in the life insurance sector, and we carry that legacy into everything we do today alongside our advisors.
To everyone who has supported, partnered with, and worked with Pilot over the past 25 years (or even longer), thank you for your faith in our team. Here’s to the next 25 years and beyond!