Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Hanmi accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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Contact Hanmi — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and pod and joint accounts typically process within 5-10 business days after receiving complete documentation. accounts requiring probate may take longer depending on estate complexity.
Customer Call Center
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, PH-A, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Customer Call Center
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, PH-A, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Death Claims / Estate Services
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, PH-A, Los Angeles, CA 90010
What happens to Hanmi accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Hanmi's Death Claims / Estate Services ((855) 773-8778) to claim the funds.
The first step is contacting Hanmi at (855) 773-8778 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Hanmi requires:
Hanmi Bank customer service is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM PT at (855) 773-8778. Bilingual support (English and Korean) is available at most branches.
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.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Hanmi 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.
Processing timelines at Hanmi: POD and joint accounts typically process within 5-10 business days after receiving complete documentation. Accounts requiring probate may take longer depending on estate complexity. 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 Hanmi 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, trust, or survivorship designation), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Visit a Hanmi Bank branch with government-issued photo ID and request a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation form. Provide the full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number for each beneficiary. You can designate primary and contingent beneficiaries and specify distribution percentages. You can also call (855) 773-8778 to request forms by mail.
Call Hanmi Bank customer service at (855) 773-8778 or visit a local branch to report the death. You will need a certified copy of the death certificate and government-issued photo ID. For POD accounts, the named beneficiary can receive funds directly. For joint accounts with right of survivorship, the surviving owner retains the account. Accounts without a POD or survivorship designation require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Hanmi 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. Heirs should contact Hanmi Bank at (855) 773-8778 to discuss options including continuing payments, assuming or refinancing the loan, or paying off the balance.
Hanmi's Death Claims / Estate Services can be reached by phone at (855) 773-8778 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Hanmi accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Death Claims / Estate Services can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Customer Call Center
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, PH-A, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Customer Call Center
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, PH-A, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Death Claims / Estate Services
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, PH-A, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Learn how to protect your Hanmi accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Learn how to protect your Hanmi accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
