Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Northwest accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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Contact Northwest's Trust & Estate Planning (Wealth Management) — 5-step process, and 6 required documents
Customer Contact Center
Northwest Bank, P.O. Box 128, Warren, PA 16365
Trust & Estate Planning (Wealth Management)
Death Claims / Estate Settlement
Northwest Bank, P.O. Box 128, Warren, PA 16365
What happens to Northwest 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 Northwest's Trust & Estate Planning (Wealth Management) (1-877-672-5678) to claim the funds.
The first step is contacting Northwest at 1-877-672-5678 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Northwest requires:
Northwest Bank does not publish a dedicated death claim portal or estate-specific online forms. Contact the main customer service line at 1-877-672-5678 or visit a local financial center to initiate the process. For complex estate situations, the Wealth Management Trust & Estate Planning department at 1-814-452-1000 provides trust administration, estate settlement, and fiduciary services. Northwest Bank can serve as executor or agent of an estate.
Documentation required by Northwest includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate is required), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
A Totten Trust account (also called an "In Trust For" or ITF account) is an informal trust account without a written trust agreement. The account is owned by the depositor/trustee, the beneficiaries have no rights during the trustee's lifetime, and when the trustee dies, the account is owned by the named beneficiary or beneficiaries in equal shares. This is how Northwest Bank implements POD (Payable on Death) designations on deposit accounts.
Call Northwest Bank at 1-877-672-5678 (Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm, Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm) or visit any local financial center. You will need the death certificate, your ID, and the deceased's account information. For trust and estate administration questions, contact the Wealth Management Trust & Estate Planning department at 1-814-452-1000.
Northwest's Death Claims / Estate Settlement can be reached by phone at 1-877-672-5678 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Northwest accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Trust & Estate Planning (Wealth Management) can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Customer Contact Center
Northwest Bank, P.O. Box 128, Warren, PA 16365
Trust & Estate Planning (Wealth Management)
Death Claims / Estate Settlement
Northwest Bank, P.O. Box 128, Warren, PA 16365
Learn how to protect your Northwest accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Learn how to protect your Northwest accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
