What to do when a F&M Bank account holder dies
Contact F&M Bank — 5-step process, 5 required documents, and pod and joint accounts typically release within days of receiving a certified death certificate and proof of authority; accounts requiring probate follow california court timelines. the bank may honor checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten days after death absent a stop-payment request.
F
F&M Client Care Center
Phone(562) 437-0011
Toll-Free(866) 437-0011
Mailing Address
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, 302 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
WebsiteLearn more→
F&M Client Care Center
Phone(562) 437-0011
Toll-Free(866) 437-0011
Mailing Address
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, 302 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
WebsiteLearn more→
F&M Client Care Center
Phone(562) 437-0011
Toll-Free(866) 437-0011
Mailing Address
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, 302 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When a F&M Bank account holder 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 F&M Bank's F&M Client Care Center ((562) 437-0011) to access and distribute the funds.
To start, call F&M Bank at (562) 437-0011. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate ready before you call.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at F&M Bank:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Farmers & Merchants Bank promptly of the account holder's death by calling the F&M Client Care Center at (866) 437-0011 (or the main office at (562) 437-0011) or visiting a branch — F&M's Deposit Account Terms & Conditions require prompt written notice of the death of any owner, authorized signer, or designated beneficiary
2
Provide a certified copy of the death certificate
3
Establish your authority (POD beneficiary, joint owner, executor, administrator, or successor trustee)
4
Understand how the account passes by ownership type: an individual account passes per the account agreement or California law; a joint account passes to the surviving owner(s); a POD account is paid to the surviving named POD beneficiary(ies), less any amounts owed to the bank; a Formal Trust account is administered under the trust
5
Submit estate documentation as required for the account type and your role (fiduciary accounts require a copy of the court order appointing the executor, administrator, conservator, or guardian)
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the person handling the estate
- Court order or Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration appointing the fiduciary (if the estate is probated)
- Notarized Certification of Trust and successor-trustee identification (for Formal Trust accounts)
- California small-estate affidavit (if eligible under California law and no probate is opened)
What to know at this institution
F&M's Deposit Account Terms & Conditions ("Death or Adjudication of Incompetence") govern what happens at death: on notice, the bank may freeze, return, or refuse further deposits — including government or retirement benefit payments credited to the account after the date of death. Until it receives notice it may continue to honor items, and even after notice it may, for ten (10) days after the date of death, pay checks drawn on or before that date unless a person claiming an interest orders a stop payment. All special authorizations (such as powers of attorney and authorized-signer rights) are revoked at death. If the bank has any question about who owns the funds, it may freeze all or part of the account pending proof satisfactory to it of each person's right to the money.
Prepare your letter of instruction to F&M Bank
F&M Bank accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to F&M Bank's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at F&M Bank: POD and joint accounts typically release within days of receiving a certified death certificate and proof of authority; accounts requiring probate follow California court timelines. The bank may honor checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten days after death absent a stop-payment request. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
F&M Bank requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the person handling the estate, and Court order or Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration appointing the fiduciary (if the estate is probated), 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
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach handles estate matters through its branches and the F&M Client Care Center, (866) 437-0011 (Mon-Fri 7am-9pm, Sat 8am-9pm, Sun 8am-5pm PT), or the main office at (562) 437-0011. Bring a certified copy of the death certificate and proof of your role in the estate. There is no online death-claim portal; the bank verifies your authority before releasing or transferring accounts.
No. Add or update POD beneficiaries on deposit accounts by visiting a branch or calling the F&M Client Care Center at (866) 437-0011; the bank requires a signed designation on file. IRA beneficiaries are designated through the IRA agreement, separate from deposit-account POD designations.
Under F&M's Deposit Account Terms & Conditions ("Death or Adjudication of Incompetence"), you must notify the bank promptly of an owner's death. Once notified, the bank may freeze, return, or refuse further deposits — including government or retirement benefit payments credited after the date of death. For up to ten days after the date of death the bank may still pay checks drawn on or before that date unless someone with an interest in the account requests a stop payment. All special authorizations, including powers of attorney and authorized-signer rights, are revoked at death. If ownership of the funds is unclear, the bank may freeze all or part of the account until it receives proof of each person's right to the money.
F&M Bank's F&M Client Care Center can be reached by phone at (866) 437-0011 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple F&M Bank accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The F&M Client Care Center can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from F&M Bank primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
F
F&M Client Care Center
Phone(562) 437-0011
Toll-Free(866) 437-0011
Mailing Address
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, 302 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
WebsiteLearn more→
F&M Client Care Center
Phone(562) 437-0011
Toll-Free(866) 437-0011
Mailing Address
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, 302 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
WebsiteLearn more→
F&M Client Care Center
Phone(562) 437-0011
Toll-Free(866) 437-0011
Mailing Address
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, 302 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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