Estate planning at First Intl Bank
How to protect 16 First Intl Bank accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through First Intl Bank's Wealth Enhancement Trust Services (formerly FIBT Wealth Services Division)
Customer Service
100 North Main, Watford City, ND 58854
Wealth Enhancement Trust Services (formerly FIBT Wealth Services Division)
Customer Service (FIBT publishes no separate estate or death-claim department; claims are opened through customer service or a branch)
First International Bank & Trust, 100 North Main, Watford City, ND 58854
First Intl Bank offers 16 consumer accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 11 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Understanding the transfer methods available for each account type helps families keep assets out of probate and ensure they pass to the right people.
First Intl Bank lets account holders update beneficiary designations in branch, by mail, and by phone, typically taking 15-30 minutes in branch; additional processing time 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 Intl Bank: 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 16 account types at First Intl Bank.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact First Intl Bank's Wealth Enhancement Trust Services (formerly FIBT Wealth Services Division) to file a claim. 8-step process, 6 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →For questions about any of these procedures, contact First Intl Bank's Wealth Enhancement Trust Services (formerly FIBT Wealth Services Division) at 1-833-307-3750. Email inquiries can be sent to info@wealthenhancement.com.
Because First Intl Bank serves a limited number of states, procedures for trust funding and beneficiary changes may differ depending on your location. Verify availability before starting.
Frequently asked questions
No. FIBT's Wealth Services Division (personal trust administration, estate settlement, asset management, special needs trust administration, investment management, farmland management) was acquired by Wealth Enhancement Trust Services, LLC on March 31, 2025, and the bank's personal trust services page now redirects to its homepage. Existing trust clients transitioned to Wealth Enhancement, and legacy trust accounts are still reached through the Trust Online Access login on fibt.com. FIBT continues to offer Mineral & Land Services (including the MineralTracker tool) and Enterprise Retirement Solutions directly. For deposit accounts you can still name your trust as a POD beneficiary or retitle a deposit account to a trust at any FIBT branch. For trust administration, contact Wealth Enhancement at 1-833-307-3750 or info@wealthenhancement.com.
Yes for minerals. Unlike its trust services, FIBT kept Mineral & Land Services in-house after the 2025 Wealth Enhancement transition. The team handles mineral management, appraisals, division order analysis, title issues, payment discrepancies, and lists estate and wealth planning for mineral owners among its consulting services, with the MineralTracker tool for heirs and trustees who inherit fractional mineral interests in the Bakken/Williston Basin. Farmland management transitioned to Wealth Enhancement with the rest of the Wealth Services Division. For mineral and land questions specifically, contact the team at (833) 842-2924 or info@mineraltracker.com rather than the main bank line.
Both. Section 31 of FIBT's Terms and Conditions (Fiduciary Accounts) provides that an account may be opened and maintained by a person or persons named as trustee under a written trust agreement, so deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs) can be retitled to a trust. Visit any branch with your trust document or Certificate of Trust, government-issued photo ID for all trustees, and the trust's tax identification number (EIN, or the grantor's SSN for a revocable trust); existing accounts may need to be closed and reopened under the trust name. A trust can also be named as the POD beneficiary of a deposit account instead. FIBT offers no online beneficiary designation and publishes no POD form for download -- visit a branch, call (800) 359-8092, or request the form by mail. IRA and HSA accounts cannot be retitled to a trust, but a trust can be named as beneficiary on those accounts.
Sources
Data sourced from First Intl Bank primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
100 North Main, Watford City, ND 58854
Wealth Enhancement Trust Services (formerly FIBT Wealth Services Division)
Customer Service (FIBT publishes no separate estate or death-claim department; claims are opened through customer service or a branch)
First International Bank & Trust, 100 North Main, Watford City, ND 58854
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your First Intl Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
