What to do when a Wells Fargo account holder dies
Contact Wells Fargo's Estate Care Center — 3-step process, 9 required documents, and varies by account type and complexity of the estate. processing begins once all required documents are received and validated.
Wells Fargo Advisors, MAC N9160-01P, PO Box 77046, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9902
Estate Care Center
Wells Fargo Advisors, MAC N9160-01P, PO Box 77046, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9902
Estate Care Center
Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Estate Care Center, Attention: D1118-02D, PO Box 71208, Charlotte, NC 28201-1245
After an account holder at Wells Fargo dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact Wells Fargo's Estate Care Center at 1-888-790-7980 with the proper legal authority documents.
Wells Fargo provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Wells Fargo:
Filing a claim
- Determine your role (personal representative, trustee, or beneficiary)
- Obtain a certified copy of the death certificate (raised seal required)
- Notify Wells Fargo online, by phone, by mail, by fax, or in person at a branch
- Provide the deceased's full legal name and Social Security number
- Submit the death certificate and required documentation based on account type
- For POD/TOD accounts: death certificate and beneficiary ID only
- For sole-owned accounts: death certificate plus probate documents or small estate affidavit
- For joint accounts: death certificate to remove deceased from account
- For trust accounts: death certificate plus Certification of Trustee naming successor trustee
- For estate accounts: provide original appointment papers (Letters Testamentary) and EIN from IRS
Required Documents
- Certified copy of death certificate (raised seal required)
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for sole-owned accounts going through probate)
- Small Estate Affidavit (if estate qualifies under state law)
- Certification of Trustee with successor trustee named (for trust accounts)
- EIN from the IRS (to open an estate account)
- Notarized Letter of Instruction (if notifying by mail)
- Letter of Authorization to Transfer Funds or Securities (for investment accounts)
- Affidavit of Domicile (for investment accounts)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Overnight mail: Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Estate Care Center, Attention: D1118-02D, 12301 Vance Davis Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269-7699. For WellsTrade investment accounts: call 1-800-662-8211. For Wells Fargo Advisors accounts: call 1-800-603-1584. For Private Bank accounts: call 1-877-646-8560.
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.
- Call the Estate Care Center at 1-888-790-7980 or the Home Mortgage line at 1-866-234-8271 to report the borrower's death
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate (raised seal required)
- Call the Life Events Team at 1-877-822-7864 to request the Successor in Interest Data form
- Complete and return the form with supporting documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
- Wells Fargo will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
- Once confirmed, you will have access to loan information and can discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation or payment assistance, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
- If applying for assumption or loss mitigation, complete the Payment Assistance and Mortgage Assumption Terms Acknowledgment Form
- Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate (raised seal required)
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest Data form (obtained from Life Events Team)
- 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)
- Payment Assistance and Mortgage Assumption Terms Acknowledgment Form (if applying for assumption or loss mitigation)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act, Wells Fargo 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 and are entitled to account information, loss mitigation options, and assumption rights. The Estate Care Center can also be reached at 1-888-790-7980. General mortgage customer service: 1-866-234-8271. Home Preservation Specialist: 1-800-678-7986.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Wells Fargo's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at Wells Fargo →How long the process takes at Wells Fargo: Varies by account type and complexity of the estate. Processing begins once all required documents are received and validated. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Wells Fargo requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of death certificate (raised seal required), Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for sole-owned accounts going through probate), 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
Contact WellsTrade at 1-800-TRADERS (1-800-872-3377) to request the Transfer on Death Kit. Complete the form with each beneficiary's name, address, date of birth, and taxpayer identification number. Submit the signed form by mail to Wells Fargo Advisors, MAC N9160-01P, PO Box 77046, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9902 or fax to 1-844-879-1439. Note: Louisiana residents cannot open TOD accounts with Wells Fargo Advisors.
Yes. You can upload the death certificate and other documents through the Wells Fargo Estate Care Center online portal at https://icomplete.wellsfargo.com/oas/status/casemgmt/enter. You can also fax documents to 1-866-358-1145 or mail them to the Estate Care Center, Attention: D1118-02D, PO Box 71208, Charlotte, NC 28201-1245.
POD (Payable on Death) is used for bank deposit accounts like checking, savings, and CDs. TOD (Transfer on Death) is used for investment accounts through WellsTrade and Wells Fargo Advisors. Both allow you to designate beneficiaries who receive the account balance directly upon your death, avoiding probate.
The Estate Care Center is Wells Fargo's dedicated department for handling deceased account holders' estates. You can reach them by phone at 1-888-790-7980, by fax at 1-866-358-1145, online at https://icomplete.wellsfargo.com/oas/status/casemgmt/enter, or by U.S. mail to Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Estate Care Center, Attention: D1118-02D, PO Box 71208, Charlotte, NC 28201-1245. Overnight mail goes to Attention: D1118-02D, 12301 Vance Davis Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269-7699.
Contact the Estate Care Center at 1-888-790-7980 or the Home Mortgage line at 1-866-234-8271 to report the death. Heirs can request Successor in Interest status through the Life Events Team at 1-877-822-7864. Under the Garn-St. Germain Act, Wells Fargo cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative, or the borrower's revocable living trust.
Yes. A Transfer on Death (TOD) or Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designation on a Wells Fargo account takes precedence over any conflicting provisions in your will or living trust. The account assets pass directly to the named beneficiaries outside of probate, regardless of what your will states.
Wells Fargo's Estate Care Center can be reached by phone at 1-888-790-7980 and fax at 1-866-358-1145 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Wells Fargo accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Estate Care Center to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Wells Fargo primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
Wells Fargo Advisors, MAC N9160-01P, PO Box 77046, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9902
Estate Care Center
Wells Fargo Advisors, MAC N9160-01P, PO Box 77046, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9902
Estate Care Center
Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Estate Care Center, Attention: D1118-02D, PO Box 71208, Charlotte, NC 28201-1245
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