What to do when a Bell Bank account holder dies
Contact Bell Bank's Bell Bank Wealth Management — Trust and Financial Planning — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and varies based on the settlement path and documentation. pod, joint, and trust-titled accounts generally release faster than accounts requiring probate, which depend on court timelines.
Customer Service
Bell Bank Wealth Management — Trust and Financial Planning
Bell Bank, PO Box 10877, Fargo, ND 58106-0877
Customer Service (Death Notification)
Bell Bank, PO Box 10877, Fargo, ND 58106-0877
When an account holder at Bell Bank passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Bell Bank's Customer Service (Death Notification) (701-298-1550) to access and distribute the funds.
Bell 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.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Bell Bank requires:
Filing a claim
- Deceased’s full legal name and account number or Social Security number
- Date of death
- Your name, government-issued photo ID, and relationship to the deceased
- POD beneficiary claim: beneficiary ID and proof of identity
- Joint account with right of survivorship: surviving owner ID
- Trust-titled account: trust agreement or Certification of Trust and successor trustee ID
- Probate estate: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Small estate: a small estate affidavit if the estate qualifies under the applicable state’s threshold (North Dakota, Minnesota, or Arizona)
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required)
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust (if the account is held in trust)
- Small estate affidavit (if the estate qualifies under North Dakota, Minnesota, or Arizona law)
- Beneficiary identification (for POD or IRA beneficiary claims)
What to know at this institution
Bell Bank handles death claims through its branches and customer service team rather than a dedicated online estate portal. Per Bell Bank’s own estate-planning guidance, accounts with a POD beneficiary designation transfer more quickly than assets covered by a will (which follow probate), and a beneficiary designation overrides inconsistent instructions in a will. Accounts held in a trust likewise pass under the trust rather than through probate. Small estates may qualify to bypass probate under the applicable state’s small estate threshold (North Dakota, Minnesota, or Arizona). For trust and wealth management accounts — or to engage Bell Bank Wealth Management to serve as personal representative or provide full estate settlement (asset inventory, creditor payments, tax-return filing, and distribution under the will) — contact Bell Bank Wealth Management at 800-709-5781. For a mortgage held by the deceased, contact Bell Bank Mortgage Servicing at 866-387-0980 or MSServicing@bell.bank (mailing: Bell Bank Mortgage Servicing, P.O. Box 11277, Fargo, ND 58106); deposit accounts are FDIC insured, while wealth-management and trust products are not.
Opening 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 Bell Bank →Expected timelines at Bell Bank: Varies based on the settlement path and documentation. POD, joint, and trust-titled accounts generally release faster than accounts requiring probate, which depend on court timelines. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Documentation required by Bell Bank includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Bell Bank does not offer Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary setup online. Visit a branch in North Dakota, Minnesota, or Arizona, or call customer service at 800-450-8949, to add a POD beneficiary to a checking, savings, money market, or CD account. Bring the beneficiary’s full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, and your government-issued photo ID. POD-designated funds pass outside of probate and override instructions in a will.
Call Bell Bank customer service at 800-450-8949 (weekdays 7 a.m.-9 p.m. CT, weekends 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT) or visit any branch in North Dakota, Minnesota, or Arizona. Provide the deceased’s name, account number or Social Security number, date of death, your relationship, and a certified copy of the death certificate. A banker will identify the deceased’s accounts and provide the claim forms. For trust and wealth management accounts, contact Bell Bank Wealth Management at 800-709-5781.
Yes. Bell Bank Wealth Management can act as a corporate trustee for living or testamentary trusts, as a successor trustee, and as personal representative (executor) of an estate. As part of estate settlement it handles the executor duties — inventorying assets, paying creditors, filing tax returns, notifying heirs and beneficiaries, and distributing the estate according to the will. Trust and wealth management services are reached at 800-709-5781 (weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CT). Note that investing and wealth management products are not FDIC insured and are separate from Bell Bank’s FDIC-insured deposit accounts.
A Bell Bank Variable Rate IRA passes to the named beneficiary on file, outside of probate. IRAs cannot be titled to a trust, but a trust can be named as the IRA beneficiary. The beneficiary should contact customer service at 800-450-8949 or visit a branch with a certified copy of the death certificate and identification to claim the account. IRAs must be opened and beneficiary updates made at a branch rather than online.
A mortgage is not settled by the deposit-side death process. The estate, surviving co-borrower, or a successor in interest should contact Bell Bank Mortgage Servicing directly at 866-387-0980 or MSServicing@bell.bank (mailing: Bell Bank Mortgage Servicing, P.O. Box 11277, Fargo, ND 58106) to discuss the loan, assumption, or successor-in-interest options. Bell Bank does not publish standardized deceased-borrower mortgage forms online; the servicing team provides the required paperwork based on the situation.
Bell Bank's Customer Service (Death Notification) can be reached by phone at 800-450-8949 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Bell Bank accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Customer Service (Death Notification) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Bell Bank primary sources (11 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
Bell Bank Wealth Management — Trust and Financial Planning
Bell Bank, PO Box 10877, Fargo, ND 58106-0877
Customer Service (Death Notification)
Bell Bank, PO Box 10877, Fargo, ND 58106-0877
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Bell Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
