Estate planning at SouthState Bank

No. SouthState Bank requires beneficiary designations to be made in writing on the signature card at a branch. You can add a beneficiary during the initial account opening process, but any changes after that require an in-branch visit to update the signature card.

Yes. SouthState Wealth provides trust administration and estate settlement services. Their team includes attorneys, CPAs, certified financial planners, and certified trust and financial advisors. They can serve as Personal Representative or as agent for the Personal Representative in estate settlement. SouthState Wealth offices are located in South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Contact a Private Wealth Advisor through southstatebank.com/wealth/contact-a-wealth-advisor.

Visit a branch with your trust agreement or trust certification, government-issued photo ID for all trustees, and the trust EIN. Per the Personal Deposit Account Agreement (effective November 1, 2025), accounts cannot be directly transferred or assigned. The bank will close the existing account and open a new one in the trust name with new signature cards designating the fiduciary capacity. The bank assumes no liability for the administration of any trust or fiduciary relationship.

No. IRAs cannot be titled to a trust. However, you can name your trust as the beneficiary of your IRA. This is done by updating your IRA beneficiary designation at a SouthState Bank branch. Consult a tax advisor before naming a trust as IRA beneficiary, as there may be significant tax implications.

SouthState offers five personal checking accounts: SouthState Checking ($5 monthly fee waived with eStatements), Choice Checking (no monthly fee, no minimum balance), Gold Checking (interest-bearing, $15 monthly fee waived with $5,000 daily balance or $25,000 combined balance, includes free checks and Safe Deposit Box benefits), Community Hero Checking (for teachers, first responders, military, and healthcare workers), and Direct Checking (streamlined electronic account). All checking accounts can be titled to a trust and support POD beneficiary designations.

Yes. SouthState offers an HSA for individuals with a high-deductible health plan. The account includes an HSA debit card for qualified medical expenses (PIN and signature transactions limited to $2,500/day), check writing access, interest earnings, and contributions that roll over annually. You can open an HSA online for current year contributions or visit a branch for prior year contributions, rollovers from another HSA, or transfers from an IRA. POD beneficiary designations are available.