Estate planning at Santander
How to protect 15 Santander accounts — manage beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and file death claims
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Death Claims / Estate Processing
Santander Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 12646, Reading, PA 19612
Santander offers 15 consumer accounts that interact with estate planning in distinct ways. Of those, 14 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.
At Santander, beneficiary designations are managed in branch. Accounts can also be retitled into a trust to keep them out of probate entirely.
Santander has documented procedures for both preparing accounts during your lifetime and handling claims when an account holder passes away.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to update beneficiaries in-branch, fund a trust in-branch, and review 15 account types at Santander.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
5-step process, 5 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Santander operates in select states, so estate planning procedures may vary by location. Confirm availability in your state before initiating trust funding or account changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Santander deposit accounts, including CDs, savings, and money market accounts, can be retitled to a revocable living trust by opening a new trust account in branch. Bring the complete trust document or a Certificate of Trust, government-issued ID for all trustees, and the trust tax identification number (a revocable trust typically uses the grantor's SSN during the grantor's lifetime). The existing account is then closed and the balance transferred to the new trust account. Note that CDs can only be opened in branch and early withdrawal penalties may apply if a CD must be closed before maturity to complete the retitling.
On February 3, 2026, Banco Santander announced the acquisition of Webster Financial Corporation for approximately $12.3 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction. The OCC approved the Bank Merger Act application in June 2026, under which Webster Bank, N.A. will merge into Santander Bank, N.A. as the surviving entity. As of July 2026 the transaction remains subject to Federal Reserve and European Central Bank approvals, with closing expected in the second half of 2026. Until the merger closes, Santander Bank and Webster Bank operate as separate institutions with their own accounts, products, and procedures. Existing Santander accounts, beneficiary designations, and POD/ITF designations remain in effect and unchanged through the closing process.
Sources
Data sourced from Santander primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Death Claims / Estate Processing
Santander Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 12646, Reading, PA 19612
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Santander accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
