What to do when a Pinnacle Bank account holder dies

On a revocable trust (ITF) or payable-on-death (POD) account, beneficiaries may withdraw only after everyone who created the account has died and at least one beneficiary is living. Two or more surviving beneficiaries own the account in equal shares, without right of survivorship.¹

The balance of a joint account with survivorship belongs to the surviving owner or owners.¹

On a joint account with no survivorship (tenants in common), the contribution percentages on record determine what percentage passes to the decedent's estate.¹

An individual account with no beneficiary belongs to the owner's estate and is administered by the person designated or appointed by court order. An authorized signer's authority ends when the bank is notified of the owner's death.¹

The bank may require documentation of the trust and of the trustee's authority. It does not read or interpret trust documents beyond confirming that authority.¹

An estate account is a fiduciary account: the fiduciary's capacity must be designated on the signature card. Pinnacle follows the fiduciary's directions until it receives written notice, satisfactory to the bank, that the authority has ended.¹

Pinnacle Asset Management securities accounts, which are not bank deposits and not under the deposit agreement^{2, 1}

Under the "Death or Incompetence" clause of the deposit agreement, a depositor's death does not revoke the bank's authority to accept, pay or collect items until the bank is notified of the death and has a reasonable opportunity to act on it.¹

Even with knowledge of the death, the bank may pay checks drawn on or before the date of death for ten days after that date unless a person claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment.¹

The bank may return or refund a deposit or credit, such as Social Security, pension or veteran's benefits, payable to an individual who is or becomes deceased, and debit the account.¹

The bank's right of setoff and security interest may be exercised before or after an account holder's death and can follow the proceeds to any other account at the bank.¹

Setoff does not apply to an Individual Retirement Account, Keogh or other tax-deferred retirement account, or where the debtor's right of withdrawal arises only in a representative capacity.¹

If a power of attorney was used on the account, the bank may require the agent to confirm by affidavit that the power has not been revoked and the principal is not deceased. It may continue to recognize the agent until it receives and can act on notice of the death.¹

Following the January 2, 2026 merger, Pinnacle offices cannot process transactions for Synovus accounts, and Synovus offices cannot process transactions for Pinnacle accounts, until the systems conversion expected in the first half of 2027.³