What to do when a First Interstate account holder dies
Contact First Interstate's Wealth Management - Trust and Estates — 9-step process, 7 required documents, and multi-party accounts with right of survivorship are updated once a certified death certificate is presented. pod accounts are typically processed within 2-4 weeks. trust accounts depend on the successor trustee documentation and, for wealth management accounts, on the trust and estates team. accounts requiring probate depend on how quickly the court issues letters, and commonly take 30-90 days or longer.
Client Contact Center
First Interstate Bank, 401 N 31st St, Billings, MT 59101
Death Claims (handled via Client Contact Center)
First Interstate Bank, 401 N 31st St, Billings, MT 59101
When an account holder at First Interstate 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 Interstate's Death Claims (handled via Client Contact Center) (1-855-342-3400) to access and distribute the funds.
Before contacting First Interstate, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
The death claim process at First Interstate works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Single-Party Account (individual, no beneficiary named) -- the balance is an estate asset
- Single-Party Account with POD -- pays to the named Pay on Death beneficiary who survives the owner
- Multi-Party Account with Right of Survivorship -- payable to the surviving co-owner(s)
- Multi-Party Account with Right of Survivorship and POD -- passes to surviving co-owners first, and only to the POD beneficiaries after all owners have died
- Revocable trust account -- passes under the trust to the successor trustee
- POD beneficiary accounts: certified death certificate and valid photo ID for each surviving beneficiary
- Multi-party accounts with right of survivorship: certified death certificate so the deceased owner can be removed
- Single-Party Accounts with no beneficiary: Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or the small estate affidavit allowed by the state whose law governs the account
- Trust accounts: death certificate, Certification of Trust or trust agreement showing the successor trustee, and the successor trustee's ID
- IRAs: death certificate, beneficiary ID, and the IRA distribution or inherited-IRA transfer forms
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee)
- Account information for the deceased (account number, name on account)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or the small estate affidavit allowed in the state where the account was opened
- For trust accounts: Certification of Trust or trust agreement including successor trustee provisions and signature pages
- For IRA accounts: IRA distribution or inherited-IRA transfer forms as applicable
- Court-issued documents if probate is required
What to know at this institution
First Interstate does not publish a dedicated survivor or estate-claim page, a claim form, or a standalone claims department; deposit claims are worked at the branch and through the Client Contact Center at 855-342-3400. Two clauses in the bank's own deposit Terms and Conditions (https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/disclosures/disclosure/135) drive the early steps: "Death or Incompetence" (prompt-notice duty; the bank may pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten days after the death unless stopped) and "Reimbursement of Federal Benefit Payments" (the bank may deduct returned federal benefit deposits from the account or any other account you hold with it, without prior notice). The agreement is governed by the law of the state where the account was opened, so a Montana-headquartered bank may still take an Oregon or Wyoming small estate affidavit on an account opened in that state. Trust, agency, and IRA accounts run through First Interstate Wealth Management Trust and Estates (1-888-791-4075) on the SEI platform. Mortgage and home equity Successor-in-Interest requests go to mortgage servicing at 1-888-833-3460 -- see the product-level death claim process on those products. HSA accounts are custodied by HealthEquity, Inc., and a death claim on an HSA is filed with HealthEquity (member support 1-844-280-4330), not with the bank.
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.
- Deceased borrower's full legal name and Social Security number
- Loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on existing terms
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
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: 1-888-833-3460
First Interstate Bank Mortgage Payments, PO Box 24888, Seattle, WA 98124-0888
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), First Interstate Bank 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. Mortgage servicing phone updated to 1-888-833-3460 in 2026. Client Contact Center: 1-855-342-3400.
Prepare your letter of instruction to First Interstate
First Interstate accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to First Interstate's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
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 Interstate →Processing timelines at First Interstate: Multi-party accounts with right of survivorship are updated once a certified death certificate is presented. POD accounts are typically processed within 2-4 weeks. Trust accounts depend on the successor trustee documentation and, for Wealth Management accounts, on the Trust and Estates team. Accounts requiring probate depend on how quickly the court issues Letters, and commonly take 30-90 days or longer. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
First Interstate requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee), and Account information for the deceased (account number, name on account), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. First Interstate Bank allows beneficiary designations through online banking. Log in at https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/login and navigate to account settings or beneficiary management. The Beneficiary Designation Disclosure is published at https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/disclosures/disclosure/137. You can also add or update beneficiaries by visiting any branch with valid ID or by calling the Client Contact Center at 1-855-342-3400. Trust beneficiary designations may require a branch visit so the trust documentation can be reviewed.
It depends on the titling First Interstate has on file. A Multi-Party Account with Right of Survivorship is payable to the surviving co-owners once a certified death certificate is presented. A Single-Party Account with POD is disbursed to the surviving Pay on Death beneficiaries, typically within 2-4 weeks after the bank receives the death certificate and beneficiary ID. A Single-Party Account with no beneficiary is an estate asset and requires Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or the small estate affidavit allowed by the state whose law governs the account -- the bank's Terms and Conditions say the applicable state law is the law of the state where the account was opened. Trust accounts require the death certificate plus successor trustee documentation. Two clauses matter in the first days: under "Death or Incompetence," First Interstate may pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten (10) days after the death unless someone with an interest in the account stops payment, and under "Reimbursement of Federal Benefit Payments" it may deduct any Social Security or other federal benefit payment it must return to the government. To start a claim, call 1-855-342-3400 or visit any branch; for a mortgage or HELOC, call mortgage servicing at 1-888-833-3460.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), First Interstate Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or to the borrower's revocable living trust where the borrower remains a beneficiary. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules and are entitled to loan account information and loss mitigation options without first assuming the loan. To initiate the Successor in Interest process, call mortgage servicing at 1-888-833-3460 with the death certificate, loan number, and proof of your ownership interest in the property; First Interstate typically completes the Successor in Interest confirmation within 30-45 days of receiving complete documentation.
First Interstate's Death Claims (handled via Client Contact Center) can be reached by phone at 1-855-342-3400 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple First Interstate accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Death Claims (handled via Client Contact Center) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from First Interstate primary sources (26 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Contact Center
First Interstate Bank, 401 N 31st St, Billings, MT 59101
Death Claims (handled via Client Contact Center)
First Interstate Bank, 401 N 31st St, Billings, MT 59101
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