What to do when a American Savings Bank account holder dies
Contact American Savings Bank's Successor Relations - CRS Department — 6-step process, 9 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Customer Banking Center
American Savings Bank, P.O. Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300
Successor Relations - CRS Department
American Savings Bank, Attn: Successor Relations, PO Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300
Successor Relations - CRS Department
American Savings Bank, Attn: Successor Relations, PO Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300
After an account holder at American Savings Bank dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact American Savings Bank's Successor Relations - CRS Department at 1-808-539-7228 with the proper legal authority documents.
American Savings Bank offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
The death claim process at American Savings Bank works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Copy of the death certificate (photocopy accepted; original certified copy may be requested in some cases)
- Completed Deceased Customer Notification Form (available at any branch or online)
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: provide the death certificate and beneficiary ID to claim funds directly at a branch
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: provide the death certificate; surviving owner retains access to the account
- For trust accounts: provide the trust document, any amendments, and proof of acceptance as Successor Trustee
- For sole-owned accounts without beneficiary: obtain Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a Hawaii court, or file an Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property under Hawaii Revised Statutes § 560:3-1201 (Hawaii Judiciary form 3CE210, https://www.courts.state.hi.us/docs/form/hawaii/3CE210.pdf) when the decedent's gross in-state estate does not exceed $100,000
Required Documents
- Copy of the death certificate (photocopy accepted; original certified copy may be requested)
- Completed Deceased Customer Notification Form
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, administrator, or successor trustee)
- Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a Hawaii court
- For small estates: Affidavit for Collection under Hawaii Revised Statutes § 560:3-1201
- For trust accounts: original trust document, any amendments, and proof of acceptance as Successor Trustee
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
- For out-of-state notarized documents: notarization at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or a valid Apostille for documents notarized in other countries
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
The Deceased Customer Notification Form is for notification purposes only, requires no notarization, and does not grant permission to access funds or obtain account information. Section 1 of the form asks whether government benefits such as Supplemental Security Income or a Civil Service pension are direct-deposited to the account, and whether any account is held in trust; disclose both. American Savings Bank may be required to return government benefit payments credited after the date of death to the paying agency. Court orders (including Letters Testamentary) issued by courts outside of Hawaii are generally not accepted because out-of-state courts do not have jurisdiction over Hawaii property; representatives may need to obtain an order from a Hawaii court. Visiting a local branch is the most direct way to initiate the estate settlement process. For sole-owned accounts, if there are no living beneficiaries at the time of death, the funds become part of the estate and go through the probate process. A Decedent Account Guide is available for download from the ASB website.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
- Deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form (obtained from mortgage servicing department)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a Hawaii court (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3), American Savings Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Court orders (including Letters Testamentary) issued by courts outside of Hawaii are generally not accepted because out-of-state courts do not have jurisdiction over Hawaii property; representatives may need to obtain an order from a Hawaii court.
Prepare your letter of instruction to American Savings Bank
American Savings Bank provides its own letter-of-instruction form. Answer a few questions and we complete that official form for you to print and sign.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at American Savings Bank →Expected timelines at American Savings Bank: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
American Savings Bank requires several documents to process a claim, including Copy of the death certificate (photocopy accepted; original certified copy may be requested), Completed Deceased Customer Notification Form, and Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, administrator, or successor trustee), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Existing deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs) can be retitled to your revocable living trust. Visit an American Savings Bank branch with your Certification of Trust and trustee identification. IRA accounts cannot be retitled to a trust. A trust only governs accounts that were owned by the trust at the time of the individual's death.
Generally, no. Court orders (including Letters Testamentary) issued by courts outside of Hawaii are not accepted because out-of-state courts do not have jurisdiction over Hawaii property. Representatives seeking to access a deceased loved one's account typically must obtain an order from a Hawaii court. For notarized affidavits executed in other countries, documents must be signed and notarized at a United States Embassy or Consulate or include a valid Apostille.
When an account holder with a POD (Payable on Death) designation dies, the named beneficiary can claim the account funds by visiting an American Savings Bank branch with a copy of the death certificate and a valid government-issued photo ID. If multiple beneficiaries are listed, all beneficiaries should be present to receive the disbursement. POD accounts bypass the probate process and pass directly to the named beneficiary. If there are no living beneficiaries at the time of death, the funds become part of the estate.
Contact the Successor Relations department at (808) 539-7228 or email SuccessorRelations@asbhawaii.com. You can also visit any local branch or mail documents to American Savings Bank, Attn: Successor Relations, PO Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300. Provide a copy of the death certificate and the completed Deceased Customer Notification Form, which is available for download from the ASB website or at any branch.
For qualifying small estates, a claimed successor may request funds by presenting a death certificate and an Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property that satisfies Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 560:3-1201 (Hawaii Judiciary form 3CE210). That statute limits the procedure to estates whose gross value in Hawaii does not exceed $100,000. This avoids the full probate process. For sole-owned accounts without a POD beneficiary or trust designation that do not qualify under the small estate threshold, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a Hawaii court are required.
American Savings Bank's Successor Relations - CRS Department can be reached by phone at 1-808-539-7228 and email at SuccessorRelations@asbhawaii.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple American Savings Bank accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Successor Relations - CRS Department to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from American Savings Bank primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Banking Center
American Savings Bank, P.O. Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300
Successor Relations - CRS Department
American Savings Bank, Attn: Successor Relations, PO Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300
Successor Relations - CRS Department
American Savings Bank, Attn: Successor Relations, PO Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804-2300
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your American Savings Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
