What to do when a Beacon Bank account holder dies
Contact Beacon Bank — 5-step process, 6 required documents, and pod, joint-survivor, and voluntary administration releases are typically same-visit once documents are presented; full-probate estate releases wait on letters from the probate and family court
Brand change
Brookline Bank is now Beacon Bank. Brookline Bancorp and Berkshire Hills Bancorp completed a merger of equals on September 1, 2025 to form Beacon Financial Corporation (NYSE: BBT); the Brookline Bank, Berkshire Bank, BankRI, and PCSB Bank brands converted to the single Beacon Bank brand on February 9, 2026. Legacy Brookline Bank accounts are now serviced by Beacon Bank & Trust. Effective February 2026.
The procedures below reflect Beacon Bank's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Beacon Bank Customer Service
Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308
Beacon Bank Customer Service
Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308
Beacon Bank Customer Service
Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308
When an account holder at Beacon 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 Beacon Bank's Beacon Bank Customer Service ((800) 698-2265) to access and distribute the funds.
The first step is contacting Beacon Bank at (800) 698-2265 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Beacon Bank:
Filing a claim
- Call 800-698-2265 (Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST) or the 24/7 automated line 888-685-8300
- Visit a local Beacon Bank branch across MA, CT, VT, NY, or RI
- POD (Payable on Death) account: the named beneficiary presents the death certificate and government-issued photo ID and the funds pass outside probate
- Joint account with right of survivorship: ownership passes automatically to the surviving owner(s) on presentation of the death certificate
- Individual account with no POD and no survivor: an appointed personal representative presents Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- IRA CD, Traditional IRA, or Roth IRA: the designated beneficiary presents the death certificate and completes IRA distribution/inherited-IRA paperwork (a POD designation on a deposit account does not govern an IRA)
- Trust account: the successor trustee presents the Certificate of Trust or trust agreement and trustee photo ID
- File Form MPC 170 with the Probate and Family Court in the county of the decedent's domicile ($115 filing fee)
- Present the endorsed Voluntary Administration Statement to the branch as the voluntary personal representative to release the deposit balance
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, successor trustee, or personal representative
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for a probate estate with no POD/survivor)
- Massachusetts Voluntary Administration Statement, Form MPC 170 (small MA estate, personal property $25,000 or less excluding one vehicle, 30+ days after death)
- Certificate of Trust or trust agreement plus successor trustee ID (if the account was held in trust)
- IRA distribution / inherited-IRA election paperwork (for IRA and IRA CD accounts)
What to know at this institution
Deposit estate matters are handled at the branch level; there is no separate central claims department. The account agreement (POD/survivorship titling) determines how each account passes, not the will. Certificate-of-deposit early-withdrawal penalties are generally waived on the death of the owner. For a Massachusetts estate consisting entirely of personal property valued at $25,000 or less (excluding one motor vehicle), a Voluntary Administration Statement (Form MPC 170) filed under M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201 can substitute for full probate 30 days after death. Outstanding mortgage, HELOC, and personal-loan balances do not pass to a beneficiary or trust; the secured property may be retitled to a trust or heir but the debt remains a liability of the estate and is serviced by Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing (P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308). Call 800-698-2265 to be directed to the branch or department handling the account.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Beacon Bank
Beacon Bank accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Beacon Bank's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Beacon Bank: POD, joint-survivor, and Voluntary Administration releases are typically same-visit once documents are presented; full-probate estate releases wait on Letters from the Probate and Family Court. 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 Beacon Bank includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, successor trustee, or personal representative, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for a probate estate with no POD/survivor), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. Under Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201), when the decedent's probate estate is entirely personal property valued at $25,000 or less (excluding one motor vehicle) and 30 days have passed since death, an interested person may file a Voluntary Administration Statement (Form MPC 170, $115 filing fee) with the Probate and Family Court instead of opening full probate. Present the endorsed statement at a Beacon Bank branch to release the deposit balance. Accounts titled with a Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary or joint right of survivorship pass outside probate entirely and do not count toward that $25,000 threshold.
Beacon Bank deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, and CDs) support Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designations, which let the funds pass directly to the named beneficiary outside probate. Visit any Beacon Bank branch or call (800) 698-2265 to add or update beneficiaries; you will need a government-issued photo ID and the full legal name of each beneficiary. IRA and IRA CD beneficiary designations are handled on separate retirement paperwork, not through a deposit-account POD.
Certificate-of-deposit early-withdrawal penalties are generally waived on the death of the account owner, so a beneficiary or estate representative can access CD funds before maturity without the substantial penalty that normally applies. Confirm the waiver with the banker before requesting an early payout, and bring a certified death certificate plus proof of your authority (POD beneficiary ID, Letters Testamentary or of Administration, a Massachusetts Voluntary Administration Statement, or successor trustee documentation depending on how the CD was titled).
Beacon Bank's Beacon Bank Customer Service can be reached by phone at (800) 698-2265 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Beacon Bank accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Beacon Bank Customer Service can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Beacon Bank primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Beacon Bank Customer Service
Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308
Beacon Bank Customer Service
Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308
Beacon Bank Customer Service
Beacon Bank Retail Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1308
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