What to do when a M&T Bank account holder dies
Report the death to M&T Bank Estate Services at 1-855-350-7272
What happens to M&T 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 M&T Bank Estate Services (1-855-350-7272) to claim the funds.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what M&T Bank requires:
Filing a claim
Required Documents
- Death certificateA legible copy with a visible seal.
- Letters testamentary or administration, or similar documents appointing an executor, if applicable
- Small estate affidavit, order of summary administration or statement of administrationM&T lists these among the documents you may need.
- Will and/or trust documents, if applicable
- Proof of a familial relationship to the deceased, for mortgage accounts, in certain situationsSuch as a marriage or birth certificate; M&T also accepts legal adoption papers.
What happens to each kind of account5
- Account in one name
If the sole account holder has died, M&T helps you understand the options available based on your circumstances and the types of accounts the deceased had with M&T.1
- Joint account with survivorship
M&T's account-opening terms say that on the death of a party to a Joint Account with Right of Survivorship, the deceased party's ownership in the account passes to the surviving party or parties.2
If there is a surviving account holder, M&T helps update the accounts and manage any disbursements to beneficiaries.1
- Health savings account
M&T's HSA beneficiary designation pays the account to the named beneficiaries; a beneficiary who dies first drops out and the others' shares grow pro rata. If no beneficiaries are named, the owner's estate is the beneficiary.3
- Loan
After it is notified, M&T helps you understand the options that may be available for mortgage loans or loans for vehicles or other personal property.1
M&T's Line of Credit Agreement lets M&T declare the account balance immediately due, without notice, if the borrower dies.4
- Credit card
M&T's Visa credit card agreement makes the cardholder's death a default, and says the cardholder's obligations are binding upon the cardholder's estate or personal representatives.5
State requirements M&T Bank statesPennsylvania, West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
An account opened in Pennsylvania in the names of two or more individuals, unless it is a fiduciary or custodial account, is a Tenancy By the Entireties Account With Right of Survivorship if the only owners are married to each other, and otherwise a Joint Account With Right of Survivorship.2
- West Virginia
West Virginia joint account holders initial a notice that anyone named on the account may withdraw or pledge all of the money unless M&T has prior written notice not to permit it, and that M&T may pay the entire balance to a creditor or other legal claimant under legal process.2
State law on paying a balance without letters5 states
- Florida
Permits a bank to pay up to $2,000 on an affidavitFla. Stat. § 735.303Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- Maine
Permits a bank to pay up to $1,000 on proof the institution accepts9-B M.R.S. § 427(8)(A)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- New York
Permits a bank to pay up to $30,000 on an affidavitN.Y. SCPA § 1310Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- Pennsylvania
Directs a bank to pay up to $20,000 on an affidavit20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(b)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- West Virginia
Permits a bank to pay up to $5,000 on an affidavitW. Va. Code § 44-1-28(c), (d)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- M&T Bank, HSA trustee or custodian
Health savings accounts3
Phone: 1-877-682-4721
Mailing address: PO Box 2032, Milwaukee, WI 53201-2032
Help M&T Bank offers survivors2
- What to do after losing a loved one
A two-page checklist of the information to gather, the organizations to contact and the services to review, ending with how to notify M&T.6
- Estate services video
A video, with a transcript, on M&T's estate services. M&T says it cannot offer legal advice but can help you understand the process and your options.7
What M&T Bank's agreement and guidance say3
- Wills, probate and small estates
M&T says court and probate documents vary by state and by the size of the estate.1
- Debts owed to the institution
M&T's Line of Credit Agreement says M&T may set off the funds in the borrower's checking account, or any other account with M&T, against any amount owing under that agreement.4
- Online access
For a sole-proprietor business account, an authorized user's online access ends when M&T receives written notice of the owner's death from a court or from a source M&T considers official and reliable.8
Not in M&T Bank's published guidance3
- How long a claim takes
- Payments after the death
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
Sources8
- 1.Estate Services
- 2.M&T Checking (BR-1009), BR-1009 (5/16)
- 3.HSA Beneficiary Designation, Rev. 5/2012 (10/2013)
- 4.Line of Credit Agreement, NB-202 AMP-10900 260622
- 5.M&T Bank Visa® Credit Card Agreement, 11/1/2025
- 6.What to do after losing a loved one, AMP-10948 260615
- 7.Transcript (Estate Services video)
- 8.Digital Services Agreement, Agreement Version 2.24, March 2026
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.
- A copy of the borrower's death certificate
- A copy of the original deed
- The letters or legal documents appointing the estate representatives
- If the deceased left a will, a copy of the probated will naming the beneficiaries of the property, with any necessary seals visible
- A copy of any new or proposed deeds
- The relationship between the entitled parties and the proposed transferee
Required Documents
- Death certificateA legible copy with a visible seal.
- Letters or legal documents appointing the representatives of the estate, if applicable
- Copy of any documents filed with the local court regarding the deceased's estate, if an entitled party asks to manage the loan or to assume it
- Copy of the probated will naming the beneficiaries of the property, if the deceased left a willWith any necessary seals visible.
- Copy of the deed showing the transfer of the property to the beneficiaries of the estate, if applicable
- Trust document and the recorded deed transferring the property into the trust, if a trust was created before the borrower's death
- Explanation of the relationship to the deceased, if an entitled party or a trust beneficiary makes the requestM&T accepts birth certificates, marriage certificates or legal adoption papers as proof of relationship.
- Copy of the original deed and any new or proposed deeds, for M&T to review a proposed transfer of title
- Customer Information Form and IRS Form W-9, if you are assuming the loan, once entitlement and successor in interest are confirmedM&T links the W-9 form.pdf).
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-800-724-2224
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-9:00 PM ET
Forms M&T Bank issues1
- Customer Information Form (CIF) for Individuals
Completed by an entitled party assuming the loan. Available to download.1
What happens to each kind of account1
- Loan
M&T says a successor in interest has an ownership interest in the property as a result of a transfer from an original borrower, and may qualify by being on the deed as a joint tenant, living in a homestead state, being a surviving heir of a relative, or being part of a living trust.2
A confirmed successor in interest gets access to mortgage billing statements, escrow statements, future notifications required by law, and other potential loan options such as loss mitigation and assumption.2
Federal law on calling a home loan after a death
These exemptions apply to a loan secured by residential real property containing less than five dwelling units.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d); 12 CFR 191.5(b), 141.14Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- A lender may not exercise a due-on-sale clause upon a transfer by devise, descent, or operation of law on the death of a joint tenant or tenant by the entirety.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d)(3); 12 CFR 191.5(b)(1)(iii)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- A lender may not exercise a due-on-sale clause upon a transfer to a relative resulting from the death of a borrower.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d)(5)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- A lender may not exercise a due-on-sale clause upon a transfer where the spouse or children of the borrower become an owner of the property.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d)(6)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
A federal regulation sets further conditions on these transfers.12 CFR 191.5(b)(1)(v)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
What M&T Bank's agreement and guidance say2
- Wills, probate and small estates
If a trust created before the borrower's death identifies who is entitled to the property, M&T says the terms of the trust control and there may be no need for an estate representative.2
- Payments after the death
M&T says the borrower's estate is obligated to make the payments, and an entitled party is not obligated unless it assumes the debt; if payments are not made, M&T has the right to initiate foreclosure.2
Not in M&T Bank's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Sources2
- 1.Customer Information Form (CIF) for Individuals, CIF for Mortgage Assumptions – revised 7/5/16
- 2.Estate Services
Required Documents
- Death certificateA legible copy with a visible seal.
- Letters testamentary or administration, or similar documents appointing an executor, if applicable
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-800-724-6444
Not in M&T Bank's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
M&T Bank Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-855-350-7272, email at EstateServices@mtb.com, and fax at 1-716-274-1087 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from M&T Bank primary sources (21 pages reviewed). How we research.
M&T Bank death claims support
M&T Bank Estate Services
Phone
Health Savings Accounts
Fax
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your M&T Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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