What to do when a F&M Bank account holder dies

Processing 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.

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.