What to do when a Wintrust account holder dies
Contact Wintrust's Wintrust Private Trust Company, N.A. — 3-step process, 5 required documents, and varies based on account type and documentation completeness; pod claims typically faster than probate-required accounts
231 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60604
Wintrust Private Trust Company, N.A.
231 South LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604
Customer Service / Estate Claims
Wintrust, P.O. Box 2027, Des Plaines, IL 60017
After an account holder at Wintrust 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 Wintrust's Customer Service / Estate Claims at 1-800-856-0212 with the proper legal authority documents.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Wintrust. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Wintrust requires:
Filing a claim
- Contact customer service at 1-800-856-0212 or visit a local branch
- Provide deceased account holder information including full legal name and account numbers if known
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
- For POD accounts: beneficiary provides certified death certificate and valid government-issued ID to claim funds
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: surviving owner provides death certificate to remove deceased from account
- For non-POD accounts: executor or administrator provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court
- For small Illinois estates: an heir may present a Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1 instead of opening probate when the gross personal estate does not exceed $150,000 (excluding vehicles registered with the Illinois Secretary of State); the ceiling rose from $100,000 to $150,000 for deaths on or after August 15, 2025 (Public Act 104-346)
- For trust-owned accounts: successor trustee provides trust documents, trustee certification, and identification
- Bank reviews documentation and processes claim
- Assets distributed per beneficiary designation, trust instructions, or estate directives
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary, executor, or trustee
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD/TOD designation and account goes through probate)
- Trust documents and trustee certification (if trust is beneficiary or account is trust-owned)
- Illinois Small Estate Affidavit when the gross personal estate does not exceed $150,000, excluding Illinois-registered vehicles (755 ILCS 5/25-1; threshold raised from $100,000 effective August 15, 2025, Public Act 104-346); comparable small-estate affidavit for accounts held at Wintrust charters in WI, IN, MI, or FL under that state's law
What to know at this institution
Because Wintrust operates 16 separately chartered FDIC-insured community banks, a claim is settled by the specific charter that holds the account (named on the statement and signature card), not by "Wintrust" generically; MaxSafe accounts spread across all 16 charters require coordination through customer service at 1-800-856-0212. Wintrust Private Trust Company provides estate settlement and fiduciary services for complex estates. Contact Wintrust Wealth at 877-243-4048. ATM/Debit Card Services: 1-800-236-2442. 24/7 Telebank: 1-866-721-2455.
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 Residential Loan Servicing Department at 866-718-7899
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
- Request Successor in Interest documentation from Wintrust Mortgage's 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)
- Wintrust Mortgage 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, 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)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Wintrust Mortgage 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. General Wintrust Mortgage customer service: 800-999-2649. Wintrust Mortgage headquarters: 9700 W. Higgins Road, Suite 300, Rosemont, IL 60018.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Wintrust
Wintrust accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Wintrust'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 Wintrust →How long the process takes at Wintrust: Varies based on account type and documentation completeness; POD claims typically faster than probate-required accounts. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by Wintrust includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary, executor, or trustee, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD/TOD designation and account goes through probate), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Wintrust Financial Corporation operates 16 separately chartered community banks (Lake Forest Bank & Trust, Hinsdale Bank & Trust, Beverly Bank & Trust, Old Plank Trail Community Bank, State Bank of the Lakes, Northbrook Bank & Trust, Schaumburg Bank & Trust, Wheaton Bank & Trust, Libertyville Bank & Trust, St. Charles Bank & Trust, Crystal Lake Bank & Trust, Barrington Bank & Trust, Town Bank, Village Bank & Trust, Macatawa Bank, and Wintrust Bank). Each is a separate FDIC-insured bank charter under the Wintrust holding company. When filing beneficiary, trust funding, or death claim paperwork, confirm which charter holds the account -- the account agreement, statements, and signature card are tied to that specific bank, not "Wintrust" generically. The MaxSafe program intentionally spreads deposits across all 16 charters for extended FDIC coverage; settling those accounts requires coordination across charters via Wintrust customer service at 1-800-856-0212.
No. Wintrust does not currently support adding or updating POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designations online. You must visit a Wintrust community bank branch with government-issued photo ID or call customer service at 1-800-856-0212 to initiate the process.
Contact Wintrust customer service at 1-800-856-0212 or visit a branch with a certified death certificate. For POD accounts, beneficiaries claim funds by presenting a death certificate and valid ID. For joint accounts with right of survivorship, the surviving owner presents a death certificate. For accounts without a beneficiary designation, the executor must present Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court.
Yes. Illinois lets heirs collect a deposit account with a Small Estate Affidavit instead of opening probate when the decedent's gross personal estate does not exceed $150,000, excluding vehicles registered with the Illinois Secretary of State (755 ILCS 5/25-1). That ceiling rose from $100,000 to $150,000 for deaths on or after August 15, 2025 (Public Act 104-346). Present the notarized affidavit with a certified death certificate and photo ID at the Wintrust charter that holds the account, or call 1-800-856-0212. Accounts at Wintrust charters in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, or Florida follow that state's small-estate rules.
Wintrust Investments, LLC is an affiliated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser offering brokerage and fee-based advisory accounts. To add or update a TOD (Transfer on Death) beneficiary on a brokerage account, contact your financial advisor or call 877-243-4048.
Call the Wintrust Mortgage Residential Loan Servicing Department at 866-718-7899 to report the borrower's death and begin the Successor in Interest process. General Wintrust Mortgage support is available at 847-939-9500 or 800-999-2649. Wintrust Mortgage headquarters is located at 9700 W. Higgins Road, Suite 300, Rosemont, IL 60018; servicing mail goes to Residential Loan Servicing, P.O. Box 714, Rosemont, IL 60018.
Wintrust's Customer Service / Estate Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-856-0212 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Wintrust accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Customer Service / Estate Claims to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Wintrust primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
231 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60604
Wintrust Private Trust Company, N.A.
231 South LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604
Customer Service / Estate Claims
Wintrust, P.O. Box 2027, Des Plaines, IL 60017
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