Estate planning at NBT Bank
How to protect 16 NBT Bank accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file death claims
Customer Service / Death Claims
Phone1-800-628-2265
Mailing Address
NBT Bank, PO Box 351, Norwich, NY 13815
NBT Wealth Management (Trust/Estate Administration)
Verified Apr 2026
NBT Bank offers 16 consumer accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 12 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. Understanding the transfer methods available for each account type helps families keep assets out of probate and ensure they pass to the right people.
NBT Bank handles beneficiary designations in branch and by phone. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
There are two sides to estate planning at NBT Bank: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 16 account types at NBT Bank.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
7-step process, 6 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →NBT Bank is not available nationwide. Estate planning procedures may vary by state, so confirm that your location is served before making account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Visit an NBT Bank branch with your trust agreement or Certification of Trust and government-issued photo ID. A banker will help you retitle the account to your trust. You will also need the trust's tax identification number (EIN or your SSN for a revocable trust). Review any existing POD designations, as trust-titled accounts pass according to the trust terms.
Yes. NBT Wealth Management has nearly a century of experience serving as impartial trustee and executor for families. NBT can serve as executor of your estate, trustee of your revocable or irrevocable trust, and administrator of special needs trusts. In February 2025, NBT promoted Richard Schoepke to Chief Trust Officer to oversee all personal trust and fiduciary activities. NBT Wealth Management manages approximately $11 billion in assets for 26,000 clients. Contact NBT Wealth Management at 1-866-952-1050 (Monday-Friday 8 AM to 5 PM ET) for more information.
NBT Bank completed the merger with Evans Bancorp on May 2, 2025, integrating 18 former Evans Bank offices in western New York into NBT's network. Former Evans Bank customers' accounts transitioned to NBT Bank products. If you had beneficiary designations or trust account titling on Evans Bank accounts, those designations carry over to the NBT system, but you should verify with an NBT banker that your designations transferred correctly. Contact NBT at 1-800-628-2265 or visit your local branch to confirm.
Yes, naming a trust as beneficiary of an IRA avoids probate, but it introduces complexity. IRAs must be titled in an individual's name and cannot themselves be retitled to a trust. However, you can name a trust as the primary or contingent beneficiary. When a trust inherits an IRA, the 10-year distribution rule under the SECURE Act generally applies, and the trust must qualify as a "see-through" trust for the IRA to use the beneficiaries' life expectancies. The tax consequences can be significant. Contact NBT Wealth Management at 1-866-952-1050 to discuss your specific situation.
Sources
Data sourced from NBT Bank primary sources (33 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service / Death Claims
Phone1-800-628-2265
Mailing Address
NBT Bank, PO Box 351, Norwich, NY 13815
NBT Wealth Management (Trust/Estate Administration)
Verified Apr 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your NBT Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
