What to do when a Frost account holder dies
Contact Frost's Trust & Estate Planning — 9-step process, 6 required documents, and p.o.d. beneficiaries may access funds after presenting death certificate and id. estate accounts may take longer depending on probate requirements.
Trust & Estate Planning
Phone1-888-268-9202
Austin
Dallas
Fort Worth
Houston
Permian Basin
Rio Grande Valley
San Antonio
WebsiteLearn more →
Death Claims
Phone1-800-513-7678
Toll-Free1-800-513-7678
Mailing Address
Frost Bank, P.O. Box 1600, San Antonio, TX 78296-1600
Verified Mar 2026
When a Frost 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 Frost's Trust & Estate Planning (1-800-513-7678) 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 Frost. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Frost:
Filing a claim
1Contact Frost customer service at 1-800-513-7678 or visit a financial center to notify the bank of the death
2Frost may freeze the account upon receiving notice of death
3Submit a certified death certificate
4For P.O.D. accounts: beneficiaries provide government-issued ID to claim funds directly
5For accounts without P.O.D.: funds pass as part of the estate under the will or by intestacy
6For trust-owned accounts: successor trustee provides trust documentation and government-issued ID
7For IRA accounts: designated beneficiaries complete distribution paperwork through the investment services division
8Frost reviews all documentation and verifies eligibility
9Assets distributed per beneficiary designation, trust instructions, or probate order
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary, heir, or successor trustee
- Trust documents (if trust-owned account)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required)
- Court order (if applicable)
- IRA beneficiary distribution forms (for retirement accounts)
Frost offers executor services as part of its fiduciary services to help manage estate administration. Contact the Trust & Estate Planning division at 1-888-268-9202 for estates requiring trust or fiduciary services.
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.
1Notify Frost Bank of the borrower's death by calling 1-800-513-7678 (available 24/7) or the Mortgage Loan Advisor line at 1-877-521-4011
2Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
3Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
4Request the Successor in Interest application and provide documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
5Frost will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
6Once confirmed, you will have access to loan information and can discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
7Continue 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), Frost 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. Frost services all mortgages in-house from Texas.
Processing timelines at Frost: P.O.D. beneficiaries may access funds after presenting death certificate and ID. Estate accounts may take longer depending on probate requirements.. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Frost requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate, Government-issued ID for beneficiary, heir, or successor trustee, and Trust documents (if trust-owned 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
Visit a Frost financial center or call 1-800-513-7678 (available 24/7) to add a P.O.D. (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation. You will complete the Uniform Single-Party or Multiple-Party Account Selection Form. P.O.D. beneficiary designations allow your account to pass directly to the named beneficiaries without going through probate.
Frost's Death Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-513-7678 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Frost accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Trust & Estate Planning can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Trust & Estate Planning
Phone1-888-268-9202
Austin
Dallas
Fort Worth
Houston
Permian Basin
Rio Grande Valley
San Antonio
WebsiteLearn more →
Death Claims
Phone1-800-513-7678
Toll-Free1-800-513-7678
Mailing Address
Frost Bank, P.O. Box 1600, San Antonio, TX 78296-1600
Verified Mar 2026
Tools for settling a Frost estate
Calculators and checklists to help navigate estate settlement after a Frost account holder passes away.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
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How Much Does Probate Cost?
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How Much Can an Executor Charge?
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How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
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Do I Need Probate?
Answer a few questions to find out if an estate needs full probate, qualifies for simplified probate, or can avoid probate entirely with a small estate affidavit.
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Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
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