What to do when a First Horizon account holder dies
Contact First Horizon's Trust and Estate Planning - Wealth Management — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and account verification for an estate is completed within 3-5 business days of receipt of the mailed dc200590 form. 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→
Estate Services (Fulfillment Operations for account verification)
Phone1-800-382-5465
Toll-Free1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, Fulfillment Operations, 3451 Prescott, Memphis, TN 38118 (for the Verification of Account for an Estate form)
Mortgage Servicing
Fraud / Lost or Stolen Card (24/7)
Verified Jul 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.
To start a claim, contact First Horizon by phone at 1-800-382-5465 or email documentation to customerservice@firsthorizon.com. You will need the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what First Horizon requires:
Filing a claim
1
Notify First Horizon promptly that the account holder has died:
- Call 800-382-5465 or visit a banking center
- The Depositor Agreement (FHB-AIB 10/2024) requires you to notify the bank promptly when any person with a right to withdraw funds dies -- notice is what stops the account
- Until First Horizon knows of the death and has had a reasonable opportunity to act on that knowledge, it may continue to honor the deceased's checks, items, and instructions
- Provide the deceased account holder's full legal name and account information
2
Submit a certified death certificate and establish your authority:
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Executor or administrator: First Horizon's Depositor Agreement states it may follow the instructions of an executor, administrator, conservator, guardian, or other personal representative on presentation of apparently authentic copies of letters of appointment issued by a court "without regard to jurisdiction" -- out-of-state Letters are acceptable
- Successor trustee: certified death certificate, trust document or Certification of Trust, and trustee ID
- POD beneficiary: certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID
3
Understand how each account type pays out under the Depositor Agreement:
- POD accounts: beneficiaries cannot withdraw until all persons who created the account have died and the beneficiary is then living; multiple surviving beneficiaries take in equal shares without right of survivorship
- A POD beneficiary's interest remains subject to any offsets or claims First Horizon could have asserted against the deceased owner or the estate
- Joint accounts: the surviving owner provides the death certificate to remove the decedent from the account
- Accounts with no POD and no surviving joint owner: funds pay to the estate on presentation of Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- CDs: the Depositor Agreement waives the early withdrawal penalty on the death or mental incompetency of the owner, so a CD can be redeemed before maturity without the 1%-2% penalty
4
Request the "Verification of Account for an Estate" form (Form DC200590) if you need First Horizon to confirm which accounts the deceased held (see the by-mail steps)
5
For a First Horizon mortgage or HELOC, notify mortgage servicing separately at 1-877-813-1587 and ask about Successor in Interest status
6
First Horizon reviews the documentation and distributes funds per the 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)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
First Horizon's Depositor Agreement (FHB-AIB 10/2024) governs what happens between the date of death and the bank's receipt of notice. Under its "Death or Incompetence" clause, the account holder agrees to notify the bank promptly when any person with a right to withdraw funds dies, and First Horizon may continue to honor checks, items, and instructions until it both knows of the death and has had a reasonable opportunity to act on that knowledge. It may also pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten (10) days after the death, unless someone claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment. Powers of attorney terminate at death, but the bank may keep honoring an agent's transactions until it receives specific account-related written notice and has a reasonable opportunity to act. Under the Reclamation clause, if the U.S. Treasury seeks reclamation of benefit payments credited after death, First Horizon may debit the account and the account holder indemnifies the bank for resulting losses. For estate accounts, First Horizon will follow the instructions of an executor, administrator, conservator, guardian, or other personal representative on presentation of apparently authentic copies of letters of appointment issued by a court "without regard to jurisdiction," so out-of-state Letters are acceptable. CD early withdrawal penalties are waived on the death or mental incompetency of the owner. To confirm which accounts the deceased held, an authorized requestor mails the "Verification of Account for an Estate" form (Form DC200590) with a copy of the death certificate, documentation establishing authority, and a $30.00 fee (check payable to First Horizon Bank) to Fulfillment Operations, First Horizon Bank, 3451 Prescott, Memphis, TN 38118. To claim or transfer funds, contact a banking center or call 800-382-5465. Mortgage and HELOC accounts are handled by mortgage servicing at 1-877-813-1587 under the Successor in Interest process. Investment and retirement accounts held through First Horizon Advisors / LPL Financial follow LPL's separate death claim procedures; contact the advisor team for those.
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)
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-877-813-1587
What to know at this institution
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.
Prepare your letter of instruction to First Horizon
First Horizon asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist First Horizon requires.
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 First Horizon →How long the process takes at First Horizon: Account verification for an estate is completed within 3-5 business days of receipt of the mailed DC200590 form. 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
Call 800-382-5465 or visit a banking center with a certified copy of the death certificate and the deceased account holder's name and account information. Notice matters: First Horizon's Depositor Agreement says the bank may continue to honor the deceased's checks, items, and instructions until it knows of the death and has had a reasonable opportunity to act, and it may pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten days afterward unless someone claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment. POD beneficiaries claim with a death certificate and photo ID; joint owners provide the death certificate; estate accounts require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. For a First Horizon mortgage or HELOC, call mortgage servicing separately at 1-877-813-1587.
First Horizon publishes a "Verification of Account for an Estate" form (Form DC200590) for authorized requestors administering an estate. Mail the completed form with a copy of the death certificate, documentation establishing your authority to receive the information, and a $30.00 fee (check payable to First Horizon Bank) to Fulfillment Operations, First Horizon Bank, 3451 Prescott, Memphis, TN 38118. Requests are completed within 3-5 business days of receipt. The form is at https://www.firsthorizon.com/-/media/Files/Third-Party-Request-Forms/DC200590-Verification-of-Account-for-an-Estate.pdf.
Yes. First Horizon's Depositor Agreement states the bank may follow the instructions of an executor, administrator, conservator, guardian, or other personal representative if it is provided with apparently authentic copies of letters of appointment issued by a court "without regard to jurisdiction." An executor appointed in one state can therefore present those Letters at a First Horizon banking center in another of the bank's 12 states without opening ancillary probate solely to satisfy the bank. Bring a certified death certificate and your government-issued photo ID with the Letters.
No. First Horizon's Depositor Agreement provides that early withdrawal penalties do not apply in the case of the death or mental incompetency of the owner. A beneficiary, successor trustee, or personal representative can therefore redeem a First Horizon CD before its maturity date without paying the standard penalty (which otherwise runs from all interest on the amount withdrawn for terms under one year, to 1% of the amount withdrawn for one-to-two-year terms, to 2% for terms of two years or more). Bring the certified death certificate and your authority documentation to a banking center.
First Horizon's Estate Services (Fulfillment Operations for account verification) can be reached by phone at 1-800-382-5465 and email at customerservice@firsthorizon.com 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.
Sources
Data sourced from First Horizon primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
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→
Estate Services (Fulfillment Operations for account verification)
Phone1-800-382-5465
Toll-Free1-800-382-5465
Mailing Address
First Horizon Bank, Fulfillment Operations, 3451 Prescott, Memphis, TN 38118 (for the Verification of Account for an Estate form)
Mortgage Servicing
Fraud / Lost or Stolen Card (24/7)
Verified Jul 2026
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