Estate planning at Bank of the Sierra
How to protect 13 Bank of the Sierra accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file death claims
Customer Service Center
Bank of the Sierra, P.O. Box 1930, Porterville, CA 93258
Customer Service Center
Bank of the Sierra, P.O. Box 1930, Porterville, CA 93258
Customer Service Center (no separate estate-claims department; death claims are worked at a branch or through Customer Service)
Bank of the Sierra, P.O. Box 1930, Porterville, CA 93258
Bank of the Sierra has 13 accounts, each with different rules for what happens when the account holder dies. Of those, 10 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. The right combination of beneficiary designations and trust ownership can keep the entire portfolio out of probate.
At Bank of the Sierra, beneficiary designations are managed in branch, by mail, and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
Bank of the Sierra has documented procedures for both preparing accounts during your lifetime and handling claims when an account holder passes away.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 13 account types at Bank of the Sierra.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
7-step process, 10 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Bank of the Sierra is not available nationwide. Estate planning procedures may vary by state, so confirm that your location is served before making account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Trust titling at Bank of the Sierra is done in branch. Bring a Certification of Trust (or the full trust agreement plus amendments), government-issued photo ID for all trustees, and the trust's EIN or grantor SSN to any branch. An existing deposit account can be retitled to the trust without closing and reopening it, provided the same SSN or EIN is used. IRA and HSA accounts cannot be retitled to a trust. There is no online trust-titling option. Note what the Comprehensive Deposit Disclosure requires of you as trustee: legal title sits with the signing trustees, the bank can demand the trust agreement, court orders, or other documents it deems necessary, and the trustees agree to indemnify and hold the bank harmless for how they handle the account.
Sources
Data sourced from Bank of the Sierra primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service Center
Bank of the Sierra, P.O. Box 1930, Porterville, CA 93258
Customer Service Center
Bank of the Sierra, P.O. Box 1930, Porterville, CA 93258
Customer Service Center (no separate estate-claims department; death claims are worked at a branch or through Customer Service)
Bank of the Sierra, P.O. Box 1930, Porterville, CA 93258
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Bank of the Sierra accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
