What to do when a Zions Bank account holder dies
Report the death to Zions Bank Customer Service at 1-888-307-3411
What happens to Zions Bank accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Zions Bank Customer Service (1-888-307-3411) to claim the funds.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 1-888-307-3411. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Zions Bank requires:
Filing a claim
Required Documents
- Written documentation establishing the fiduciary appointment, for an executor or administrator
- Documentation establishing the identity of successor trustees, for a revocable trust account
What happens to each kind of account6
- Account in one name
The executor or administrator opens an account in that fiduciary capacity and provides written documentation establishing the appointment.1
- Joint account with survivorship
Ownership transfers to the surviving joint owners, and the deceased owner's estate has no rights to the account.1
- Joint account without survivorship
On a joint account without rights of survivorship (tenants in common), the deceased owner's interest passes to the owner's estate.1
- Payable-on-death account
The named beneficiaries receive the funds after the death of the last surviving owner, in equal shares when more than one is named.1
- Trust account
On a revocable trust account, the bank relies on the documentation the trust supplied establishing the identity of successor trustees.1
- Safe deposit box
The bank may allow a close relative, an executor or an administrator of the estate to enter the box only to search for a will, trust agreement or burial instructions.1
What Zions Bank's agreement and guidance say3
- What it does when notified
Until the bank has had an opportunity to act on the notice, it continues to honor checks, debit card transactions, ACH withdrawals and similar items the owner authorized.1
- Debts owed to the institution
After an owner's death, Zions Bank may set off the deceased owner's debts to the bank against a joint account or an account with payable-on-death beneficiaries, up to the full balance at the time of death. A time deposit used this way is subject to the early withdrawal penalty.1
- Powers of attorney
A power of attorney is no longer valid once the principal dies.1
Sources1
- 1.Deposit Account Agreement, Effective July 2026
Zions Bank Customer Service can be reached by phone at 1-888-307-3411 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Zions Bank primary sources (42 pages reviewed). How we research.
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