Estate planning at Fifth Third Bank
How to protect 16 Fifth Third Bank accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Fifth Third Bank's Wealth Management / Private Bank
Customer Service
38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45263
Probate Team
Fifth Third Bank, Attn: Probate Team, 1830 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Fifth Third Bank offers 16 consumer accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 13 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.
Beneficiary designations at Fifth Third Bank can be managed in branch 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 Fifth Third Bank: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 16 account types at Fifth Third Bank.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Fifth Third Bank's Wealth Management / Private Bank to file a claim. 6-step process, 5 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →For questions about any of these procedures, contact Fifth Third Bank's Wealth Management / Private Bank at 1-866-488-0017.
Fifth Third Bank operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Fifth Third Private Bank offers comprehensive estate settlement administration with over 100 years of experience, including serving as executor, administrator, or agent of an estate. Their fiduciary professionals can coordinate the entire settlement process, including tax filings, asset distribution, and trust funding. Contact Fifth Third Private Bank at 1-866-488-0017 for these services.
Yes. Fifth Third partners with Trust & Will to offer state-specific wills and living trusts at no cost to all customers. Customers can access this service through online banking or the Fifth Third mobile app. The guided experience can typically be completed in less than one hour. Within four months of launch, more than 26,000 wills were redeemed and over 1,600 trusts created.
Visit a Fifth Third banking center with your Certificate of Trust or full trust agreement, valid government-issued photo ID for each trustee, and the trust tax ID (a revocable living trust typically uses the grantor's Social Security number while the grantor is living). A banker will complete the account retitling paperwork or open a new trust account and issue a new signature card. For Fifth Third Securities brokerage and managed accounts, the banker will coordinate with the securities team. Processing typically takes 1-2 weeks after documents are submitted.
Yes. IRAs at Fifth Third Securities cannot be titled in the name of a trust (IRAs must be owned by an individual), but a trust can be named as primary or contingent beneficiary. Call Fifth Third Securities at 1-800-416-8714 to update the IRA beneficiary designation. Provide the trust name, date established, and tax ID number. Naming a trust may affect required minimum distribution rules for inherited IRAs, so review with a tax advisor.
Fifth Third completed its acquisition of Comerica on February 2, 2026, becoming the 9th largest U.S. bank with approximately $294 billion in assets. Full system and brand conversion of Comerica to the Fifth Third brand is expected in the third quarter of 2026. Until then, Comerica-branded locations and accounts continue to operate under the Comerica name. Existing Fifth Third customers can continue using their accounts, branches, and online banking without changes. After conversion, beneficiary designations, POD instructions, and trust-titled accounts carry over to the converted Fifth Third accounts. Fifth Third plans to expand to approximately 1,750 total branches by 2030, including 150 new financial centers in Texas by 2029.
Sources
Data sourced from Fifth Third Bank primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45263
Probate Team
Fifth Third Bank, Attn: Probate Team, 1830 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Fifth Third Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
