What to do when a First Horizon account holder dies
Contact First Horizon's Trust and Estate Planning - Wealth Management — 4-step process, 6 required documents, and pod accounts: typically 5-10 business days after documentation is complete. estate accounts: varies based on probate requirements.
Customer Service
Phone1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, 165 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
WebsiteLearn more→
Trust and Estate Planning - Wealth Management
Phone1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, 165 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
WebsiteLearn more→
Death Claims / Estate Services
Phone1-800-382-5465
Toll-Free1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, ATTN: Customer Solutions, P.O. Box 15003, Knoxville, TN 37901-5003
Mortgage Servicing
Verified May 2026
When a First Horizon 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 Horizon's Trust and Estate Planning - Wealth Management (1-800-382-5465) 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 First Horizon. 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 First Horizon requires:
Filing a claim
1
Report the death to First Horizon:
- Contact First Horizon at 800-382-5465 or visit a local banking center
- Provide the deceased account holder's name and account information
- Submit a certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
2
Provide additional documentation based on account type:
- POD accounts: beneficiary provides certified death certificate and government-issued ID to receive funds
- Joint accounts with right of survivorship: surviving owner provides death certificate to remove deceased from account
- Accounts without POD or survivorship: executor or administrator provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Trust accounts: successor trustee provides death certificate, trust documents, and trustee identification
3
First Horizon reviews all documentation and processes the claim
4
Assets distributed per beneficiary designation, survivorship, trust terms, or estate instructions
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD or survivorship)
- Account information (statements, account numbers)
- Trust documents and successor trustee ID (if trust is owner or beneficiary)
- Small estate affidavit (if applicable under state law)
Investment and retirement accounts held through First Horizon Advisors / LPL Financial may have separate death claim procedures. Contact the advisor team directly for those accounts. Visit your nearest banking center for the fastest processing.
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
Report the borrower's death to First Horizon:
- Call mortgage servicing at 1-877-813-1587 or general customer service at 800-382-5465
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
2
Establish Successor in Interest status:
- Request the Successor in Interest application
- Provide documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
- First Horizon will review your documentation and confirm your status
3
Once confirmed, discuss available options:
- Continue making payments on existing terms
- Apply for loss mitigation through First Horizon Consumer Credit Solutions at https://www.firsthorizon.com/Personal/Products-and-Services/Borrowing/Borrowers-Resources/Consumer-Credit-Solutions
- Assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
4
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
- 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)
- Trust document showing successor trustee or beneficiary (if applicable)
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), First Horizon 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. Consumer Credit Solutions for hardship assistance is available at https://www.firsthorizon.com/Personal/Products-and-Services/Borrowing/Borrowers-Resources/Consumer-Credit-Solutions. General customer service: 800-382-5465.
How long the process takes at First Horizon: POD accounts: typically 5-10 business days after documentation is complete. Estate accounts: varies based on probate requirements. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by First Horizon includes Certified death certificate (original or certified copy), Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD or survivorship), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designations on First Horizon deposit accounts take precedence over instructions in your will. This is why it is important to keep beneficiary designations updated whenever your circumstances change, such as after marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child.
Contact First Horizon at 800-382-5465 or visit a local banking center. Provide the deceased account holder's name and account information along with a certified copy of the death certificate. The process and additional documentation depends on account type: POD beneficiaries can claim funds with a death certificate and ID; joint account survivors provide the death certificate; estate accounts require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. For mortgage accounts, call 1-877-813-1587.
The HELOC draw period ends upon the borrower's death and no additional draws can be made. Heirs should contact First Horizon at 800-382-5465 and submit a certified death certificate. Heirs can establish Successor in Interest status by providing documentation of their ownership interest in the property. Confirmed Successors in Interest can pay off the balance, refinance, or negotiate repayment terms. Under the Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or revocable trust.
First Horizon's Death Claims / Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-382-5465 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple First Horizon accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Trust and Estate Planning - Wealth Management can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Customer Service
Phone1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, 165 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
WebsiteLearn more→
Trust and Estate Planning - Wealth Management
Phone1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, 165 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
WebsiteLearn more→
Death Claims / Estate Services
Phone1-800-382-5465
Toll-Free1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, ATTN: Customer Solutions, P.O. Box 15003, Knoxville, TN 37901-5003
Mortgage Servicing
Verified May 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your First Horizon accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
