Carolina Bank & Trust Co. vs First Palmetto Bank
This comparison uses public regulatory filings and TFS methodology. It evaluates financial condition—not checking rates, account fees, service quality, or which institution is universally “best.”
Bank
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
Lamar, SC
Health score
95.8
Total assets
$844.6M
Bank
First Palmetto Bank
Camden, SC
Health score
85.8
Total assets
$1.1B
Answer first
Different strengths, no blanket winner
Carolina Bank & Trust Co. leads on financial health and capitalization and profitability; First Palmetto Bank leads on lending quality and growth. Those category leads describe current regulatory metrics only and do not establish a universal product or service winner.
Capital and asset-quality definitions are directly comparable for this pair.
Category leaders
Where each institution leads
Financial health
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
Higher TFS health score
Capitalization
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
Higher comparable capital ratio
Profitability
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
Higher return on assets
Lending quality
First Palmetto Bank
Lower problem-loan measure
Growth
First Palmetto Bank
Higher year-over-year asset growth
Same-source detail
Financial metrics
Winner markers appear only where the metric definitions are comparable and both values are available.
| Metric | Carolina Bank & Trust Co. | First Palmetto Bank |
|---|---|---|
| TFS health score | 95.8/100Leads | 85.8/100 |
| Total assets | $844.6M | $1.1B |
| Total deposits / shares | $727.4M | $993.9M |
| Tier 1 capital ratio | 13.51%Leads | 9.42% |
| Return on assets | 1.85%Leads | 1.36% |
| Return on equity | 14.57% | 14.91%Leads |
| Non-performing loans | 0.41% | 0.15%Leads |
| Net charge-offs | 0.20% | 0.03%Leads |
| Efficiency ratio | 43.22%Leads | 54.77% |
| Loan-to-deposit ratio | 82.29% | 78.93% |
| Asset growth (YoY) | 4.84% | 7.26%Leads |
| Deposit / share growth (YoY) | 4.10% | 7.01%Leads |
| Branches | 14 | 22 |
| Published CFPB complaints per $1B deposits (12 months)verified mappings only | — | — |
Branch and market overlap
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
14 branches
First Palmetto Bank
22 branches
Both institutions report branches in 1 state: SC.
CFPB complaint coverage
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
Unavailable
First Palmetto Bank
Unavailable
Counts use an explicitly reviewed CFPB-company-to-regulatory-ID mapping and the same complete 12-month window. Parent-company attribution can include complaints involving affiliates. Lower complaint volume is context—not proof of better service or less consumer harm.
Regulatory-action context
Carolina Bank & Trust Co.
0 in TFS registry
First Palmetto Bank
0 in TFS registry
Institution-level actions come from TFS's exact regulatory-ID registry and are shown as factual context only. They do not affect category winners or the TFS Financial Health Grade. A zero means no action is currently published in this curated registry—not proof that none exists.
Quarterly history
Health and profitability trend
| Quarter | Carolina Bank & Trust Co. score | Carolina Bank & Trust Co. ROA | First Palmetto Bank score | First Palmetto Bank ROA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q3 | — | 1.42% | — | 0.78% |
| 2024-Q4 | — | 1.46% | — | 0.81% |
| 2025-Q1 | — | 1.35% | — | 0.91% |
| 2025-Q2 | — | 1.49% | — | 0.99% |
| 2025-Q3 | — | 1.53% | — | 1.05% |
| 2025-Q4 | — | 1.51% | — | 1.07% |
| 2026-Q1 | 94.2/100 | 1.68% | 86.1/100 | 1.52% |
| 2026-Q2 | 95.8/100 | 1.85% | 85.8/100 | 1.36% |
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Coverage boundaries
What this does not conclude
- • No product-rate, fee, or customer-service winner without product data.
- • Complaint comparisons appear only when both institutions have reviewed mappings and the same complete source window.
- • Regulatory actions are displayed separately and are not included in category scoring.
Related comparisons
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Financial data comes from FDIC BankFind Suite or NCUA Call Reports as labeled. TFS Health Grades are an editorial assessment, not an official government rating or financial advice. Every valid pair is viewable; pairs enter search automatically only when current data, comparability, and visitor interest meet the publication rules.