What to do when a Webster account holder dies
Contact Webster's Fiduciary & Trust Services (Webster Private Bank) — 3-step process, 7 required documents, and pod beneficiaries can typically access funds once death certificate and id are verified. estate accounts require probate court documentation, which varies by state.
Webster
Subsidiary of Webster Financial Corporation (pending Santander acquisition, announced Feb 2026)
websterbank.com→
Phone1-800-325-2424
Mailing Address
200 Elm Street, Stamford, CT 06902
Fiduciary & Trust Services (Webster Private Bank)
Phone1-855-274-2800
Mailing Address
200 Elm Street, Stamford, CT 06902
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Service / Estate Claims
Phone1-800-325-2424
Mailing Address
Webster Bank, N.A., 200 Elm Street, Stamford, CT 06902
Verified Apr 2026
When a Webster account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Webster's Fiduciary & Trust Services (Webster Private Bank) (1-800-325-2424) to access and distribute the funds.
Before contacting Webster, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
The death claim process at Webster works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Webster Bank of the account holder's passing
- Contact Webster Bank by calling 1-800-325-2424 or visit a banking center
- Provide the deceased's full name, date of death, and account information if known
- Submit a certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
2
Submit documentation based on account type
- For POD accounts: beneficiaries provide government-issued photo ID, Social Security number, and certified death certificate to claim funds
- For joint accounts: surviving joint owner retains full access; provide death certificate to update account records
- For estate accounts: executor provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court (certified within 60 days)
- For small estates: provide Small Estate Affidavit if estate qualifies under applicable state law
3
Receive claim review and asset distribution
- For trust accounts: successor trustee provides trust documentation with successor trustee provisions and identification
- Webster reviews documentation and processes the claim
- Assets distributed per beneficiary designation, trust terms, or estate instructions
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Social Security number or tax ID of claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for estate accounts, certified within 60 days)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if estate qualifies under state law)
- Trust documents with successor trustee provisions (if trust-owned account)
- Court order or other documentation as deemed necessary by Webster Bank
Estate accounts require letters of appointment by the probate court. For accounts held through Webster Private Bank or fiduciary services, contact your Private Client Relationship Manager directly. Joint accounts with right of survivorship pass automatically to the surviving owner.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
1
Report the borrower's death to Webster Bank
- Call 1-800-325-2424 or visit a banking center to notify the bank
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
2
Complete the Successor in Interest process
- Request Successor in Interest documentation from Webster's mortgage servicing department
- Complete and return the Successor in Interest form with documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
- Webster Bank will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
3
Manage the mortgage going forward
- Once confirmed, you will have access to loan information and can discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
- Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (one or more of the following): probated will naming you as heir, court order of succession, recorded deed transferring ownership, trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Webster Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules. For loss mitigation or foreclosure prevention assistance, call 800-270-5300.
How long the process takes at Webster: POD beneficiaries can typically access funds once death certificate and ID are verified. Estate accounts require probate court documentation, which varies by state. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Webster requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate (original or certified copy), Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Social Security number or tax ID of claimant, and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Visit a Webster Bank banking center with government-issued photo ID, or call 1-800-325-2424. Request a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation form. Provide each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship to you. Specify primary and contingent beneficiaries with percentage allocations. The most recent beneficiary designation supersedes any prior designation. POD accounts pass outside the probate process.
Contact Webster Bank at 1-800-325-2424 or visit a banking center. For POD accounts, named beneficiaries can claim funds by providing a certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID. For joint accounts with right of survivorship, the surviving owner retains full access. For accounts without POD or joint ownership, a court-appointed executor or administrator must provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. Trust accounts pass to the successor trustee per the trust terms.
Webster Bank offers fixed-rate mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages (7/6m and 10/6m ARM), and jumbo mortgages with up to 97% financing in underserved markets. Available in CT, NJ, MA, NY, and RI. Upon a borrower's death, heirs should contact 1-800-325-2424 to begin the Successor in Interest process. Under the Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan when property transfers to a spouse, child, or the borrower's revocable trust.
Webster's Customer Service / Estate Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-325-2424 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Webster accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Fiduciary & Trust Services (Webster Private Bank) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Webster
Subsidiary of Webster Financial Corporation (pending Santander acquisition, announced Feb 2026)
websterbank.com→Phone1-800-325-2424
Mailing Address
200 Elm Street, Stamford, CT 06902
Fiduciary & Trust Services (Webster Private Bank)
Phone1-855-274-2800
Mailing Address
200 Elm Street, Stamford, CT 06902
WebsiteLearn more→
Customer Service / Estate Claims
Phone1-800-325-2424
Mailing Address
Webster Bank, N.A., 200 Elm Street, Stamford, CT 06902
Verified Apr 2026
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