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Contact First Financial Bank's First Financial Trust — 9-step process, 6 required documents, and varies based on account type and documentation. pod beneficiary claims with complete documentation are typically processed within a few business days. probated estates depend on court timelines.
Customer Care Center
400 Pine Street, P.O. Box 701, Abilene, TX 79601
First Financial Trust
Death Claims / Customer Care Center
400 Pine Street, P.O. Box 701, Abilene, TX 79601
When a First Financial 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 First Financial Bank's First Financial Trust (1-855-660-5862) to access and distribute the funds.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 1-855-660-5862. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at First Financial Bank:
First Financial Bank is a community bank and handles estate matters primarily through local branch offices. For accounts with wealth management or trust services, contact the nearest First Financial Trust office. First Financial Trust has been managing trusts and estates since 1927 and has the legal authority to serve as executor or co-executor.
Processing timelines at First Financial Bank: Varies based on account type and documentation. POD beneficiary claims with complete documentation are typically processed within a few business days. Probated estates depend on court timelines.. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
First Financial Bank requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Visit your local First Financial Bank branch with your government-issued ID and beneficiary information (full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address). A banker will help you complete a Payable on Death (POD) designation form. If naming multiple beneficiaries, specify the percentage each should receive.
If the account has a named POD beneficiary, the beneficiary can claim funds by presenting a death certificate and valid ID at any branch. If the account is titled in a trust, the successor trustee presents trust documents and a death certificate. If neither, the account goes through probate and requires Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a Texas court.
Contact your local First Financial Bank branch or call the Customer Care Center at 855-660-5862. You will need the death certificate, your government-issued ID, your relationship to the deceased, and the deceased's account number or Social Security number.
The mortgage obligation does not disappear at death. Heirs who inherit the property also inherit the mortgage. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot call the loan due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower's revocable trust. Contact First Financial Bank to discuss options including loan assumption, continued payments, refinancing, or payoff.
First Financial Bank's Death Claims / Customer Care Center can be reached by phone at 1-855-660-5862 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple First Financial Bank accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The First Financial Trust can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Customer Care Center
400 Pine Street, P.O. Box 701, Abilene, TX 79601
First Financial Trust
Death Claims / Customer Care Center
400 Pine Street, P.O. Box 701, Abilene, TX 79601
Calculators and checklists to help navigate estate settlement after a First Financial Bank account holder passes away.
Get a personalized checklist for settling an estate after someone passes away. Covers trust administration, probate, and intestate estates.
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
Answer a few questions to find out if an estate needs full probate, qualifies for simplified probate, or can avoid probate entirely with a small estate affidavit.
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.