What to do when a Fulton Bank account holder dies
Contact Fulton Bank's Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services — 4-step process, 9 required documents, and 7-14 business days after all documents are received
Fulton Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 94, East Petersburg, PA 17520
Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services
Fulton Financial Advisors, One Penn Square, P.O. Box 4887, Lancaster, PA 17602
Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services / Estate Settlement Officers
Fulton Bank, N.A., Attn: Estate Services, P.O. Box 94, East Petersburg, PA 17520
After an account holder at Fulton Bank 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 Fulton Bank's Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services / Estate Settlement Officers at 1-800-385-8664 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claims at Fulton Bank 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
The death claim process at Fulton Bank works as follows:
Filing a claim
- POD beneficiary accounts: certified death certificate and beneficiary government-issued ID
- Joint accounts with right of survivorship: certified death certificate to remove deceased from account
- Accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court
- Trust accounts: certified death certificate, trust documentation, and successor trustee identification
- IRA accounts: certified death certificate, beneficiary ID, and IRA distribution or transfer forms
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee)
- Account information for the deceased
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- For small estates: small estate affidavit (state-specific requirements apply)
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions
- For trust accounts: government-issued ID for the successor trustee
- For IRA accounts: IRA distribution or transfer forms
- Written instructions regarding distribution preference
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Visiting a Fulton Bank financial center in person is recommended for the most efficient estate settlement process. For complex estates or trust accounts, contact Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services for specialized assistance. Estate Settlement Officers at Fulton Private Bank can guide families through the full settlement process. Distribution options include transfer to an existing or new Fulton Bank account or a cashier's check. Former Republic Bank customers: accounts converted to Fulton Bank systems on November 4, 2024 and follow the standard Fulton process.
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, 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: 1-800-220-9034
Fulton Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 4887, Lancaster, PA 17604
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Fulton 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. General customer service: 1-800-385-8664.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Fulton Bank
Fulton Bank accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Fulton Bank'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 Fulton Bank →Processing timelines at Fulton Bank: 7-14 business days after all documents are received. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Fulton Bank requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee), and Account information for the deceased, 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
Republic First Bank deposits and accounts were assumed by Fulton Bank, N.A. in April 2024, and Republic Bank account systems converted to Fulton Bank on November 4, 2024. Former Republic Bank accounts are now Fulton Bank accounts and follow Fulton's standard death claim process. Contact Fulton Bank at 1-800-385-8664 with a certified death certificate, the deceased's former Republic Bank or current Fulton account number, and beneficiary or personal representative identification. Visit any Fulton Bank financial center or, for former Philadelphia-area Republic branches, the corresponding Fulton location.
Pennsylvania is one of six states that levy an inheritance tax. PA Inheritance Tax applies to most assets transferred at death, including Fulton Bank deposit accounts, regardless of whether the account passes by POD, joint ownership, will, or trust. Rates are 0% to a surviving spouse, 4.5% to lineal descendants (children, grandchildren), 12% to siblings, and 15% to other heirs. The tax is filed on PA Form REV-1500 with the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent resided, generally within 9 months of death. Fulton Bank does not withhold or file PA Inheritance Tax; the personal representative is responsible.
Fulton Bank's Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services / Estate Settlement Officers can be reached by phone at 1-800-385-8664 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Fulton Bank accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services / Estate Settlement Officers to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Fulton Bank primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
Fulton Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 94, East Petersburg, PA 17520
Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services
Fulton Financial Advisors, One Penn Square, P.O. Box 4887, Lancaster, PA 17602
Fulton Private Bank Trust and Estate Services / Estate Settlement Officers
Fulton Bank, N.A., Attn: Estate Services, P.O. Box 94, East Petersburg, PA 17520
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