What to do when a Potomac Bank account holder dies
Report the death to Potomac Bank's Client Care Center at 1-800-296-8431
What happens to Potomac 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 Potomac Bank's Client Care Center (1-304-725-8431) to claim the funds.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 1-304-725-8431. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Potomac Bank requires:
Filing a claim
What happens to each kind of account1
- Trust account
Potomac Bank Trust and Wealth serves as trustee for living trusts, trusts under will and charitable trusts, administering them under the terms of the trust document.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersWest Virginia
- West Virginia
W. Va. Code § 44-1-28(c), (d)
West Virginia law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.W. Va. Code § 44-1-28(c), (d)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $5,000 per account
When: 120 days after the death
Paid to: the decedent’s surviving spouse, if any; if no spouse survived the decedent, the distributees of the decedent under the laws of the State of West Virginia, as established by an affidavit to that effect (in that order)
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere2
- BCT Investments (LPL Financial)
Brokerage, annuity and insurance accounts held through LPL Financial representatives, which are not bank deposits2
Phone: 1-304-728-2464
- TCM Bank, N.A.
Potomac Bank Visa Platinum credit card accounts, which TCM Bank issues3
Help Potomac Bank offers survivors1
- Estate Settlement (Potomac Bank Trust and Wealth)
The Trust and Wealth team administers estates, seeing that taxes and regulatory requirements are met before the estate is distributed to the beneficiaries.1
Not in Potomac Bank's published guidance14
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A department for deceased-customer accounts
- A claim form
- A list of required documents
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
- A mailing address for claim documents
- A fax number for claim documents
- An email address for claim documents
- An online way to report a death
- How long a claim takes
- A small-estate procedure
- Which court appointment document it accepts
- Terms in its agreements for a customer's death
- Deposit account agreement
Potomac Bank's Client Care Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-296-8431 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(3)·
Data sourced from Potomac Bank primary sources (37 pages reviewed). How we research.
Potomac Bank death claims support
Client Care Center
Phone
Toll-free
Hours
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Potomac Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for your state.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
