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 May 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
NBT Bancorp completed the merger with Evans Bancorp on May 2, 2025, converting 18 former Evans Bank offices (14 in the Buffalo area, 4 in greater Rochester) and roughly 40,000 customers into the NBT system. Former Evans Bank accounts have been remapped to NBT Bank products. POD beneficiary designations and trust titling carry over, but former Evans customers should verify at a branch that designations transferred correctly before relying on them for an estate plan. Use the NBT customer contact line at 1-800-628-2265 or visit any of the 175 NBT branches.
Yes. NBT Wealth Management has nearly a century of experience as a corporate trustee and executor and is qualified as a New York fiduciary. NBT can serve as executor of your estate, trustee of your revocable or irrevocable trust, co-trustee alongside a family member, or administrator of a special needs trust. Richard Schoepke was promoted to Chief Trust Officer in February 2025 to lead all personal trust and fiduciary activities. The Wealth Management group manages approximately $11 billion in assets for about 26,000 clients across the seven-state footprint. Contact NBT Wealth Management at 1-866-952-1050 (Monday-Friday 8 AM to 5 PM ET) to discuss appointment as fiduciary.
NBT Bank does not offer online beneficiary updates. You must either visit a branch or call Customer Service at 1-800-628-2265 (Monday-Friday 7 AM to 7 PM ET, Saturday 9 AM to 12 PM ET). Bring government-issued photo ID and the beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and percentage allocation if naming more than one. POD designations are available on Classic Checking, eChecking, Classic Interest Checking, NBT iSelect, Personal Statement Savings, eSavings, Money Market, and all CDs. For LPL Financial brokerage accounts opened through NBT Investment Services, contact your NBT investment representative directly to file a TOD form.
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 May 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your NBT Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
