What to do when a Johnson Bank account holder dies
Report the death to Johnson Bank at 1-888-769-3796
What happens to Johnson Bank 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 Johnson Bank (1-888-769-3796) to claim the funds.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 1-888-769-3796. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Johnson Bank requires:
Filing a claim
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- Your identification
What happens to each kind of account4
- Account in one name
The deposit agreement says only that, on the owner's death, an individual account's balance "will be payable as determined under applicable state law."1
- Joint account with survivorship
A joint account is payable to any survivor, who does not have to survive by any set period, subject to the bank's right of set-off. Each joint owner is to tell the bank of the other's death.1
- Joint account without survivorship
On a Wisconsin marital account, half the balance belongs to the surviving spouse and half to the estate or the deceased spouse's designated beneficiaries. The bank pays either spouse until it receives written notice of the death.1
- Health savings account
A spouse named as beneficiary takes over the HSA as the spouse's own. For any other beneficiary the account stops being an HSA on the date of death, and with no beneficiary named the funds go to the estate.2
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Johnson Financial Group Trustee and Estate Administration Services
Trusts where it is trustee or successor trustee, and estate administration including asset titling3
Phone: 1-800-203-8766
What Johnson Bank's agreement and guidance say6
- Debts owed to the institution
The bank may apply funds in any of the owner's accounts, joint accounts included, to a debt owed to the bank or its affiliates without prior notice. The set-off does not reach IRAs, other tax-deferred retirement accounts or HSAs.1
- Powers of attorney
The bank may honor an agent until it knows of the death or incompetence of everyone who appointed the agent and has had a reasonable time to act on it.1
- Which state governs the account
Accounts are governed by federal law and the law of the state where the branch holding the account is located.1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
An account with no deposit, withdrawal or written contact for five years may be presumed abandoned and transferred to the state as unclaimed property.1
- Arbitration
The deposit agreement carries an arbitration provision that an owner could opt out of in writing within 60 days of opening the account.1
- Fees
The personal fee schedule charges $10.00 for a copy of a statement, $35.00 an hour for records research ($20.00 minimum) and $10.00 for a cashier's check.4
Not in Johnson Bank's published guidance8
- A department for deceased-customer accounts
- A claim form
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
- A mailing address for claim documents
- An online way to report a death
- Which court appointment document it accepts
- A small-estate procedure
- How long a claim takes
Sources4
Johnson Bank can be reached by phone at 1-888-769-3796 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(3)·
Data sourced from Johnson Bank primary sources (29 pages reviewed). How we research.
Johnson Bank death claims support
Phone
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Johnson Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for your state.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
