What to do when a First National Bank Alaska account holder dies
Contact First National Bank Alaska's Wealth Management & Trust — 5-step process, 7 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Customer Service
First National Bank Alaska, PO Box 100720, Anchorage, AK 99510
Death Claims / Estate Services
First National Bank Alaska, PO Box 100720, Anchorage, AK 99510
After an account holder at First National Bank Alaska dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact First National Bank Alaska's Death Claims / Estate Services at 907-777-4362 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claims at First National Bank Alaska can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what First National Bank Alaska requires:
Filing a claim
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: provide the death certificate and beneficiary ID to claim funds directly
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: provide the death certificate; surviving owner retains access to the account
- For accounts without beneficiary or survivorship: obtain Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or a Small Estate Affidavit from the court and provide along with the executor or administrator's ID
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator)
- Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the court
- For small estates: Small Estate Affidavit as permitted under Alaska Statutes § 13.16.680
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
What to know at this institution
Visiting a local branch is the most direct way to initiate the estate settlement process. A First National Bank Alaska branch team member can help open an estate account if needed to manage proceeds and pay estate obligations. Alaska has no state estate tax or inheritance tax. Under Alaska Statutes § 13.16.680, estates valued at $100,000 or less may qualify for simplified small estate procedures.
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, Social Security number, and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form (obtained from mortgage servicing department)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Claims Contact
Phone: 907-777-5600
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3), First National Bank Alaska 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. Home Loan Center: 907-777-5600.
Prepare your letter of instruction to First National Bank Alaska
First National Bank Alaska accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to First National Bank Alaska'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 National Bank Alaska →Processing timelines at First National Bank Alaska: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by First National Bank Alaska includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator), and Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
When an account holder with a POD (Payable on Death) designation dies, the named beneficiary can claim the account funds by visiting a First National Bank Alaska branch with a certified copy of the death certificate and a valid government-issued photo ID. POD accounts bypass the probate process and pass directly to the named beneficiary.
The documents depend on how the account is titled. For POD accounts, you need a certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID. For accounts without POD designation, you need the death certificate plus Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from an Alaska court. For small estates valued at $100,000 or less, Alaska Statutes 13.16.680 may allow a simplified Small Estate Affidavit. For trust accounts, provide trust documentation showing you as successor trustee along with the death certificate.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), First National Bank Alaska cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when you transfer your home to your own revocable living trust. Your loan terms, interest rate, and payment schedule remain unchanged. The same protection applies when the property transfers to a surviving spouse or child upon the borrower's death.
First National Bank Alaska's Death Claims / Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-856-4362 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple First National Bank Alaska accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Death Claims / Estate Services to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from First National Bank Alaska primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
First National Bank Alaska, PO Box 100720, Anchorage, AK 99510
Death Claims / Estate Services
First National Bank Alaska, PO Box 100720, Anchorage, AK 99510
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