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OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
OverviewPreparing your estateWhen someone dies
SimplyTrust forms
Letter of Instruction
Home→Financial Institutions→BMO

Estate planning at BMO

How to protect 16 BMO accounts — manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through BMO's BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates

Brand change

BMO Harris Bank N.A. rebranded to BMO Bank N.A., with the U.S. legal-entity name change effective September 3, 2023 (the simplified "BMO" branding was announced in September 2022), retiring the 140-year-old "Harris" name. Same legal entity, same account numbers, debit cards, online logins, and customer service numbers -- a brand update, not a merger. The rebrand followed BMO's February 1, 2023 acquisition of Bank of the West. Effective September 2023.

The procedures below reflect BMO's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.

BMO

Subsidiary of Bank of Montreal (Canada)

bmo.com→
BMO logo

Customer Service

Phone1-888-340-2265
Toll-Free1-888-340-2265
Fax1-844-739-1152
Mailing Address

BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033

BMO Alto online accounts (24/7)
1-855-266-8100
BMO Investment Services
1-877-225-3863
BMO Mortgage
1-844-219-6003
BMO Credit Card (24/7)
1-855-825-9237
BMO Wealth Management
1-800-472-0060
WebsiteLearn more→

BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates

Phone1-800-472-0060
Toll-Free1-800-472-0060
Emailbmowealthdirect@bmo.com
BMO Alto online accounts (24/7)
1-855-266-8100
BMO Investment Services
1-877-225-3863
WebsiteLearn more→

Death Claims

Phone1-888-340-2265
Toll-Free1-888-340-2265
Fax1-844-739-1152
Mailing Address

BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033

BMO Alto online accounts (24/7)
1-855-266-8100
BMO Investment Services
1-877-225-3863
BMO Wealth Management
1-800-472-0060
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

BMO offers 16 consumer accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 12 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Understanding the transfer methods available for each account type helps families keep assets out of probate and ensure they pass to the right people.

BMO lets account holders update beneficiary designations online, in branch, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 15-30 minutes. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle accounts into the name of a revocable living trust.

There are two sides to estate planning at BMO: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.

Preparing your estate

Beneficiaries and trust funding

How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust in-branch, and review 16 account types at BMO.

View details →

When someone dies

Death claim process

Contact BMO's BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates to file a claim. 6-step process, 9 required documents, and contact information for survivors.

View details →

For questions about any of these procedures, contact BMO's BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates at 1-800-472-0060. Email inquiries can be sent to bmowealthdirect@bmo.com.

Frequently asked questions

BMO branch deposit accounts -- Smart Advantage Checking, Smart Money Checking, Relationship Checking, Savings Builder, Growth Money Market, and CDs -- can be retitled to or opened in the name of a revocable living trust. Visit a branch or call BMO Wealth Management at 1-800-472-0060. You will need your trust document or Certificate of Trust, government-issued ID for all trustees, and the trust TIN/EIN (or grantor SSN for a revocable trust). BMO Alto online accounts cannot be opened in the name of a trust or in a fiduciary capacity -- if you want a trust-titled high-yield account, use a branch product instead.

BMO offers Traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs through BMO Investment Services via LPL Financial. An IRA cannot be retitled into a trust during your lifetime -- IRAs must remain in an individual's name under IRS rules. However, a trust can be named as the primary or contingent beneficiary on any BMO IRA. If you name a trust as IRA beneficiary, work with a tax advisor on the SECURE Act rules for "see-through" trust qualification and the 10-year payout for non-spouse beneficiaries. Contact BMO Investment Services at 1-877-225-3863, Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM CT, to update IRA beneficiary designations.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 12, 2026

Sources

  • bmo.com
  • alto.bmo.com
  • uswealth.bmo.com

Data sourced from BMO primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.

BMO

Subsidiary of Bank of Montreal (Canada)

bmo.com→
BMO logo

Customer Service

Phone1-888-340-2265
Toll-Free1-888-340-2265
Fax1-844-739-1152
Mailing Address

BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033

BMO Alto online accounts (24/7)
1-855-266-8100
BMO Investment Services
1-877-225-3863
BMO Mortgage
1-844-219-6003
BMO Credit Card (24/7)
1-855-825-9237
BMO Wealth Management
1-800-472-0060
WebsiteLearn more→

BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates

Phone1-800-472-0060
Toll-Free1-800-472-0060
Emailbmowealthdirect@bmo.com
BMO Alto online accounts (24/7)
1-855-266-8100
BMO Investment Services
1-877-225-3863
WebsiteLearn more→

Death Claims

Phone1-888-340-2265
Toll-Free1-888-340-2265
Fax1-844-739-1152
Mailing Address

BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033

BMO Alto online accounts (24/7)
1-855-266-8100
BMO Investment Services
1-877-225-3863
BMO Wealth Management
1-800-472-0060
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your BMO accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

Estate planning articles

Learn how to protect your BMO accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.

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