What to do when a MidFirst account holder dies
Report the death to MidFirst's Personal Banker Support at 1-888-643-3477
After an account holder at MidFirst 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 MidFirst's Personal Banker Support at 1-888-643-3477 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at MidFirst:
Filing a claim
- Give the deceased's full legal name and account or Social Security number
- Say whether you are a surviving joint owner, a named POD beneficiary, or the estate administrator, executor or trustee
- Surviving joint owner: ID and the death certificate
- Named POD beneficiary: ID and the death certificate
- Executor or administrator: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, or a small estate affidavit where the estate qualifies
- Successor trustee: the trust agreement or a Certification of Trust
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- Deceased's account number or Social Security number
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if probate is required
- Small estate affidavit, if the estate qualifies
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust, if accounts are held in trust or a successor trustee is taking over
- Proof of identity of the named POD beneficiary, if claiming as beneficiary
- Written notice of the death, if an attorney-in-fact held a power of attorney on the account
What happens to each kind of account4
- Joint account with survivorship
Every MidFirst joint account is a joint tenancy with full rights of survivorship, so ownership continues with the surviving owners.1
- Payable-on-death account
The account is payable outside probate on the death of the last owner to the named POD beneficiary if living, otherwise to that beneficiary's estate. Multiple beneficiaries share equally.1
- Account in one name
With no surviving owner and no living beneficiary, the account is handled through the deceased person's estate.2
- Certificate of deposit
Section 13(A)(1) of the Account Agreement waives the early withdrawal penalty when an owner dies or is declared legally incompetent, so an estate can break a CD at full value without waiting out the term.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersOklahoma, Texas
- Oklahoma
6 O.S. § 906
Oklahoma law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit made under oath, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.6 O.S. § 906Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $50,000 held at the institution
Paid to: the known heirs of the deceased
The section applies where the person died without a will. The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
- Texas
Tex. Est. Code § 152.051
Texas law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an order of the court, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.Tex. Est. Code § 152.051Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: a funeral home or the applicant, for funeral and burial expenses
Limit: $5,000 in total from every holder
When: the application may be filed "not earlier than the third day after the date of the decedent's death and not later than nine months after the date of the decedent's death"
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- MidFirst Private Wealth Trust Services
Trust and fiduciary accounts, and estates in which MidFirst itself is named executor2
What MidFirst's agreement and guidance say5
- Wills, probate and small estates
Under section 23 (Accounts of Decedents), the credit balance of a deceased customer's account is paid as permitted or required by law.1
- Who can get account information
MidFirst furnishes account information on request to the duly appointed estate administrator, trustee or attorney.1
- Debts owed to the institution
Under section 7, MidFirst may apply the account balance to any debt the owner owed it, matured or unmatured, including debts owed to its 1st Century Bank and Vio Bank divisions, before paying anyone out.1
- Powers of attorney
An attorney-in-fact's authority ends at death. MidFirst is not liable for transactions under a revoked power of attorney until it receives written notice and has a reasonable period to act on it.1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
Under section 21, an account with no customer-initiated transaction for twelve months is classified dormant, may be charged an inactivity fee, and in most cases must be remitted to the state as abandoned property.1
Not in MidFirst's published guidance3
- An email address for claim documents
- A fax number for claim documents
- A mailing address for claim documents
MidFirst's Personal Banker Support can be reached by phone at 1-888-643-3477 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from MidFirst primary sources (16 pages reviewed). How we research.
MidFirst death claims support
Personal Banker Support
Phone
Toll-free
California Clients (formerly 1st Century Bank)
Hours
Website
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