What to do when a Hancock Whitney account holder dies
Contact Hancock Whitney's Trust & Asset Management — 6-step process, 5 required documents, and varies based on account type, documentation completeness, and whether probate is required
Phone1-800-448-8812
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Spanish Language Support
Financial Consultants
Treasury Services Client Support
Mortgage Support
Mortgage Loan Application
Consumer Loan Applications
Business Loan Applications
HELOC Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Trust & Asset Management
Phone1-800-651-9227
Death Claims
Phone1-800-448-8812
Toll-Free1-800-448-8812
Mailing Address
Hancock Whitney Bank, P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Verified May 2026
After a Hancock Whitney account holder 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 Hancock Whitney's Trust & Asset Management at 1-800-448-8812 with the proper legal authority documents.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Hancock Whitney. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Hancock Whitney:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Hancock Whitney by calling customer service at 1-800-448-8812, Trust & Asset Management at 1-800-651-9227, or by visiting a local financial center
2
Provide the deceased account holder's name, account number (if known), and date of death
3
Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
4
Provide additional documentation based on account type:
- For POD accounts: the named beneficiary provides a certified death certificate and valid government-issued photo ID to receive funds
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: the surviving account holder provides a certified death certificate to remove the deceased from the account
- For accounts without POD or survivorship: the estate representative provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court
- For trust-owned accounts: the successor trustee provides the trust document and death certificate
5
Hancock Whitney reviews all submitted documentation
6
Assets are distributed according to the beneficiary designation, trust terms, or estate instructions
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (at least one original)
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, surviving joint owner, or estate representative
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD or survivorship designation)
- Trust documents and successor trustee identification (if trust is the account owner or beneficiary)
- Account numbers for the deceased's accounts (if available)
For accounts managed by Trust & Asset Management, contact 1-800-651-9227 directly. Spanish-language support available at 1-866-366-0001.
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.
1
Notify Hancock Whitney of the borrower's death by calling Mortgage Client Support at 1-866-695-6751 or general customer service at 1-800-448-8812
2
Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
3
Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
4
Complete Successor in Interest documentation:
- Request the Successor in Interest documentation packet from the mortgage servicing department
- Complete and return the documentation with proof of your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
5
Hancock Whitney will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
6
Once confirmed, discuss available options:
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan or refinance
- Pay off the remaining balance
7
Continue 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
- Completed Successor in Interest documentation (obtained from Mortgage Client Support)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (one or more of the following): probated will naming you as heir, court order of succession, recorded deed transferring ownership, trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Hancock Whitney 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. Mortgage Client Support: 1-866-695-6751. General customer service: 1-800-448-8812. Mortgage loan application: 1-800-506-4441. Spanish-language support: 1-866-366-0001.
How long the process takes at Hancock Whitney: Varies based on account type, documentation completeness, and whether probate is required. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by Hancock Whitney includes Certified death certificate (at least one original), Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, surviving joint owner, or estate representative, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD or survivorship designation), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. POD beneficiary designations on bank accounts take precedence over anything stated in your will. This is why it is important to keep beneficiary designations updated and coordinated with your overall estate plan whenever your circumstances change, such as after marriage, divorce, birth, or death of a family member.
Notify Hancock Whitney by calling Mortgage Client Support at 1-866-695-6751 or general customer service at 1-800-448-8812. Submit a certified death certificate and request the Successor in Interest documentation packet. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), the lender cannot accelerate the loan when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest can continue making payments, assume or refinance the loan, apply for loss mitigation, or pay off the balance.
Contact Hancock Whitney customer service at 1-800-448-8812 or visit a local financial center. Provide the deceased account holder's name, account number, and date of death, along with a certified death certificate. For POD accounts, the named beneficiary provides a death certificate and valid photo ID to receive funds. For joint accounts with right of survivorship, the surviving account holder provides a death certificate to remove the deceased. For accounts without POD or survivorship, the estate representative provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court.
A POD (Payable on Death) designation names one or more beneficiaries to receive account funds upon the owner's death, bypassing probate for that account. Retitling an account to a revocable trust transfers ownership to the trust, and distribution follows the trust terms. If you retitle an account to your trust, existing POD designations should be removed because the trust governs distribution. Both options avoid probate, but a trust provides more control over how and when beneficiaries receive assets.
Hancock Whitney operates primarily in five Gulf-state markets, and each state's small-estate procedure differs. In Mississippi, an heir may collect personal property up to $75,000 by affidavit at least 30 days after death (Miss. Code 91-7-322). In Alabama, the summary distribution / small-estate procedure applies when the estate's value (excluding the homestead allowance) is no more than the inflation-adjusted threshold the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency publishes each year (Ala. Code 43-2-692). In Louisiana, succession by affidavit is available when the deceased's gross property in Louisiana is $125,000 or less (La. C.C.P. art. 3431). Florida summary administration is available when non-exempt assets are $75,000 or less, or the decedent has been dead more than two years (Fla. Stat. 735.201). Texas allows a small-estate affidavit when the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) is $75,000 or less (Tex. Est. Code 205.001). Bring the affidavit, certified death certificate, and your ID to a financial center.
Hancock Whitney's Death Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-448-8812 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Hancock Whitney accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Trust & Asset Management to confirm what applies.
Phone1-800-448-8812
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Spanish Language Support
Financial Consultants
Treasury Services Client Support
Mortgage Support
Mortgage Loan Application
Consumer Loan Applications
Business Loan Applications
HELOC Support
WebsiteLearn more→
Trust & Asset Management
Phone1-800-651-9227
Death Claims
Phone1-800-448-8812
Toll-Free1-800-448-8812
Mailing Address
Hancock Whitney Bank, P.O. Box 4019, Gulfport, MS 39502
Verified May 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Hancock Whitney accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
