What to do when a Busey account holder dies
Contact Busey's Busey Wealth Management - Trust Services & Estate Advisory (contact via web form; no direct phone line published) — 8-step process, 5 required documents, and varies by account type; pod and joint-account claims are typically resolved faster than probate-dependent claims, which wait on the probate court issuing letters (or on a small-estate affidavit).
Busey Customer Care
Busey Bank, 100 W University Ave, Champaign, IL 61820
Busey Wealth Management - Trust Services & Estate Advisory (contact via web form; no direct phone line published)
Busey Customer Care
Busey Bank, 100 W University Ave, Champaign, IL 61820
After an account holder at Busey 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 Busey's Busey Customer Care at 800.672.8739 with the proper legal authority documents.
Begin by calling Busey at 800.672.8739. You will need the deceased's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate to get the process started.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Busey works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Call Busey Customer Care at 800.672.8739 (Monday-Friday 7:30am-6pm CT)
- Or visit a local Busey banking center (https://www.busey.com/busey/customer-care/locations-and-hours)
- For POD accounts: the named beneficiary provides a certified death certificate and valid government-issued ID to claim funds
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: ownership passes automatically to the surviving owner(s), who present a death certificate to remove the decedent
- For non-POD individual accounts: the executor or administrator provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by the probate court
- For IRA CDs: the named beneficiary provides a death certificate and completes distribution/transfer paperwork (a trust can be the named IRA beneficiary)
- For trust accounts: the successor trustee provides the trust agreement or Certificate of Trust, a death certificate, and trustee identification
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary or authorized representative
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for probate estates)
- Trust agreement or Certificate of Trust and successor trustee ID (if account held in trust)
- State small-estate affidavit where the estate qualifies (Illinois: 755 ILCS 5/25-1 for personal estates up to $100,000)
What to know at this institution
Busey does not publish a dedicated consumer estate-settlement portal or a separate claims phone line; all death claims run through Customer Care at 800.672.8739 (Monday-Friday 7:30am-6pm CT) or in-branch. Busey Wealth Management provides professional corporate executor/trustee and estate administration services (contact via https://info.busey.com/contact-wealth-management; no direct phone line published). Early withdrawal penalties on CDs may be waived on the death of the account holder. Busey-branded Visa cards are issued by Elan Financial Services and their balances are settled with Elan (866.234.4691), not Busey. State small-estate thresholds vary across the ten states Busey serves; the Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1) covers personal estates of $100,000 or less.
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 Busey →How long the process takes at Busey: Varies by account type; POD and joint-account claims are typically resolved faster than probate-dependent claims, which wait on the probate court issuing Letters (or on a small-estate affidavit). The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Busey requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary or authorized representative, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for probate estates), 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. First Busey Corporation completed its holding company merger with CrossFirst Bankshares on March 1, 2025, and the bank merger followed on June 20, 2025. All CrossFirst Bank branches were converted to the Busey Bank brand and operating system. Estate planning paperwork referencing CrossFirst Bank should now name Busey Bank, and prior CrossFirst account holders use Busey Customer Care at 800.672.8739 for beneficiary changes, trust funding, and death claims.
Busey may waive CD early withdrawal penalties upon the death of the account holder, allowing the beneficiary or estate to access funds before the maturity date without the standard interest penalty. Standard penalties are 6 months of interest for terms of 12 months or less and 12 months of interest for terms over 12 months, capped at total interest earned during the current term. Contact Customer Care at 800.672.8739 or visit a banking center with a certified death certificate to request the waiver.
Busey-branded Visa credit cards are issued by Elan Financial Services, not directly by Busey Bank. Death claims on these cards are handled by Elan and not through Busey Customer Care. The cardholder's estate is responsible for any outstanding balance. Notify Elan of the death (the lost/stolen card line is 866.234.4691) and provide a certified death certificate; the executor or administrator should then work with Elan to close the account and resolve the balance from estate assets.
Busey's Busey Customer Care can be reached by phone at 800.672.8739 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Busey accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Busey Customer Care to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Busey primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Busey Customer Care
Busey Bank, 100 W University Ave, Champaign, IL 61820
Busey Wealth Management - Trust Services & Estate Advisory (contact via web form; no direct phone line published)
Busey Customer Care
Busey Bank, 100 W University Ave, Champaign, IL 61820
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