What to do when a Fifth Third Bank account holder dies
Contact Fifth Third Bank's Wealth Management / Private Bank — 6-step process, 5 required documents, and 2-4 weeks for pod accounts; estate accounts may take significantly longer depending on probate complexity
Customer Service
Phone1-800-972-3030
Mailing Address
38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45263
Fifth Third Securities
HSA Support Center
Mortgage Servicing
Loan Assumption/Transfer
Fifth Third Private Bank
WebsiteLearn more→
Probate Team
Phone1-888-795-1986
Toll-Free1-888-795-1986
EmailProbate@53.com
Fax616-653-2455
Mailing Address
Fifth Third Bank, Attn: Probate Team, 1830 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
General Customer Service
Fifth Third Securities
Fifth Third Private Bank
Mortgage Servicing
Verified Jul 2026
When a Fifth Third 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 Fifth Third Bank's Wealth Management / Private Bank (1-888-795-1986) to access and distribute the funds.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Fifth Third Bank. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Fifth Third Bank requires:
Filing a claim
1
Contact Fifth Third Bank by phone at 1-800-972-3030 or visit a local banking center to notify them of the account holder's death
2
Provide the deceased account holder's name and account information
3
Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
4
Provide documentation based on account type:
- POD accounts: named beneficiary presents valid government-issued photo ID for direct transfer
- Non-POD accounts: executor or administrator provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court
- Trust accounts: successor trustee provides trust documents and trustee certification
- Fifth Third Securities accounts: call 1-800-416-8714 to initiate the claim
5
Fifth Third reviews all documentation and processes the claim
6
Assets are distributed per beneficiary designation, trust terms, or estate instructions
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for non-POD, non-trust accounts)
- Trust documents and trustee certification (if trust is beneficiary or account is trust-owned)
- Small estate affidavit (where applicable under state law for estates below the threshold)
What to know at this institution
There is no online portal for reporting a death. Notify the bank as soon as possible by phone or in person. For loans (mortgage, home equity, HELOC), contact the Probate Team at 1-888-795-1986 or fax documents to 616-653-2455. Fifth Third Private Bank offers full estate settlement administration services, including acting as executor, administrator, or agent of an estate. For Private Bank estate settlement services, call 1-866-488-0017. Fifth Third Private Bank has over 100 years of experience in settling estates.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
1
Notify Fifth Third Bank of the borrower's death by calling Mortgage Servicing at 1-800-375-1745
2
Provide initial information:
- Deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
3
Request the Successor in Interest documentation package from the mortgage servicing department
4
Complete and return the Successor in Interest documentation with proof of your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
5
Fifth Third Bank will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
6
Once confirmed as Successor in Interest, discuss available options:
- Continue making payments
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan
- Refinance or pay off the balance
- For loan assumption or transfer questions, contact 1-866-351-5353
7
Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest documentation (obtained from Mortgage Servicing)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-800-375-1745
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Fifth Third Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules and are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options. Loan assumption or transfer: 1-866-351-5353. Mortgage hardship assistance: 1-800-375-1745 option 3. General customer service: 1-800-972-3030. Fifth Third Private Bank estate services: 1-866-488-0017.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Fifth Third Bank's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionOpening 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 Fifth Third Bank →Processing timelines at Fifth Third Bank: 2-4 weeks for POD accounts; estate accounts may take significantly longer depending on probate complexity. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Fifth Third Bank includes Certified death certificate (original or certified copy), Government-issued photo ID for the claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for non-POD, non-trust accounts), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Fifth Third does not currently support adding POD beneficiaries through online banking. Visit a local Fifth Third banking center with valid government-issued photo ID and request the POD designation form, or call customer service at 1-800-972-3030 to start the process. For investment and retirement accounts at Fifth Third Securities, call 1-800-416-8714. Provide each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and percentage allocation. Trusts can be named as POD beneficiaries using the trust name, date established, and tax ID number.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Fifth Third cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Heirs should call Mortgage Servicing at 1-800-375-1745 to notify Fifth Third of the death, request the Successor in Interest documentation package, and submit proof of ownership interest along with a certified death certificate. Confirmed Successors in Interest are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options under CFPB mortgage servicing rules. For probate questions on loans, the Probate Team can be reached at 1-888-795-1986.
For POD accounts, the named beneficiary presents a certified death certificate and valid government-issued photo ID at any Fifth Third banking center for direct account transfer. For non-POD accounts, the executor or administrator must provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court. For trust-owned accounts, the successor trustee provides the trust document (or Certificate of Trust) and trustee certification. Documents can be mailed to: Fifth Third Bank, Attn: Probate Team, 1830 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, or faxed to 616-653-2455.
Yes. Brokerage and managed accounts at Fifth Third Securities (Fifth Third Securities Brokerage, Passageway Managed Account, and OptiFi Managed Account) support TOD beneficiary designations. Call Fifth Third Securities at 1-800-416-8714 to add or update beneficiaries. Note that Fifth Third Securities is clearing through National Financial Services (Fidelity) and these accounts are not FDIC insured.
Fifth Third Bank's Probate Team can be reached by phone at 1-888-795-1986, email at Probate@53.com, and fax at 616-653-2455 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Fifth Third Bank accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Wealth Management / Private Bank can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Fifth Third Bank primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
Phone1-800-972-3030
Mailing Address
38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45263
Fifth Third Securities
HSA Support Center
Mortgage Servicing
Loan Assumption/Transfer
Fifth Third Private Bank
WebsiteLearn more→
Probate Team
Phone1-888-795-1986
Toll-Free1-888-795-1986
EmailProbate@53.com
Fax616-653-2455
Mailing Address
Fifth Third Bank, Attn: Probate Team, 1830 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
General Customer Service
Fifth Third Securities
Fifth Third Private Bank
Mortgage Servicing
Verified Jul 2026
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