Estate planning at First Citizens
How to protect 15 First Citizens accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through First Citizens's Trust & Fiduciary Services / Wealth Management
Customer Care Center (FC Direct)
First Citizens Bank, FC Direct/Customer Engagement Center DAC 54, P.O. Box 27131, Raleigh, NC 27611-7131
Trust & Fiduciary Services / Wealth Management
Death Claims / Estate Settlement
First Citizens Bank, FC Direct/Customer Engagement Center DAC 54, P.O. Box 27131, Raleigh, NC 27611-7131
How your First Citizens accounts transfer at death depends on how each one is titled and whether a beneficiary is on file. Of those, 12 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Getting these details right keeps assets out of probate and ensures they reach the intended recipients.
First Citizens lets account holders update beneficiary designations in branch, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 15-30 minutes in branch; 1-2 weeks by mail. 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 First Citizens: 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 15 account types at First Citizens.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact First Citizens's Trust & Fiduciary Services / Wealth Management to file a claim. 4-step process, 6 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Reach First Citizens's Trust & Fiduciary Services / Wealth Management at 1-855-329-3258 for help with any of these procedures.
Frequently asked questions
Visit a First Citizens branch with the full trust document or a Certificate of Trust, government-issued ID for every trustee, and the trust EIN if it has one (a revocable trust may use the grantor SSN). A representative completes the retitling paperwork so the account title reads the trust name, trustee, and date of trust. First Citizens' own guidance at https://www.firstcitizens.com/wealth/insights/estate-planning/essential-step-fund-revocable-trust stresses that titling is the step that makes the trust work, and that a pour-over will is the safety net for assets never retitled. To start by mail, call 888-323-4732 for the forms.
Sources
Data sourced from First Citizens primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Care Center (FC Direct)
First Citizens Bank, FC Direct/Customer Engagement Center DAC 54, P.O. Box 27131, Raleigh, NC 27611-7131
Trust & Fiduciary Services / Wealth Management
Death Claims / Estate Settlement
First Citizens Bank, FC Direct/Customer Engagement Center DAC 54, P.O. Box 27131, Raleigh, NC 27611-7131
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your First Citizens accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
