How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies?
Select a bank to see whether it opens estate accounts, where the account can be opened, the documents it asks for, and the steps it follows.
An estate account is a bank account titled to the estate itself — not to the person who died and not to the executor personally. The court-appointed executor or administrator opens it to deposit money owed to the estate (final paychecks, refunds, proceeds from closed accounts), pay the estate's debts and expenses, and distribute what remains. Checks made out to "the Estate of" can only be deposited into an account titled this way.
The estate is its own taxpayer, separate from the person who died. Banks open estate accounts under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, not the deceased's Social Security Number. The free EIN application prepares IRS Form SS-4 for the estate.
Each bank publishes its own list. Of the 143 banks here that open estate accounts, 36 name a court appointment document — letters testamentary, letters of administration, or a short certificate — among what they ask for, and 29 state that the estate's EIN is required before the account can be opened. Where a bank publishes no list for estate accounts, its page says so. Select a bank above to see its list.
Of the 143 banks here that open estate accounts, 4 state the account can be opened online and 47 state it cannot; the other 92 do not say. Chase, for example, states an estate account cannot be opened online and requires a branch appointment. Select a bank above to see its stated channels.
An estate account is opened by the executor or administrator the probate court appoints, so the appointment comes first. The court documents issued at appointment — letters testamentary or letters of administration — are what prove that authority. An agent under a power of attorney cannot open an estate account; a power of attorney ends at death.
Not at the same bank. The estate account is a new account belonging to the estate, and a bank that offers estate accounts opens it on the letters the probate court issued, wherever that court sits. Executors often open it where the deceased banked because the same visit handles the death claim on the existing accounts. The state is a separate question: 15 of 51 jurisdictions attach a location or charter test to where an estate's funds are kept. On the 39 bank pages with a published branch footprint, picking a state shows that state's rule next to whether the bank operates there.
No. Assets titled to a revocable living trust pass outside the probate estate — the successor trustee administers them under the trust, without letters or an estate account. SimplyTrust's online trust is set up in about 15 minutes.
Estate account requirements by bank
- A: Addition Financial · Albert · Alerus · Ally Bank · Amerant · America First · American Express · American Heritage · American Savings Bank · Ameriprise · Ameris Bank · Apple · Apple Bank · Arvest · Associated Bank · Atlantic Union · Axos
- B: Banc of California · BancFirst · Banco Popular · Bangor Savings · Bank of America · Bank of Hawaii · Bank of Hope · Bank of the Sierra · Bank OZK · BankUnited · Banner Bank · Bar Harbor Bank · Barclays US · Bayer Heritage · BCU · Bell Bank · Bellco · Bluevine · BMO · BOK Financial · Bread Savings · Busey
- C: Camden National · Capital One · Carter Bank · Cash App · Cathay Bank · Centennial Bank · Central Bank · Chase · Chime · CIBC US · Citibank · Citizens Bank · Citizens Business Bank · City National · City National WV · Clearview FCU · Coastal Community Bank · Columbia Bank · Comerica · Commerce Bank · Community Bank · ConnectOne · CPB · Current · Customers Bank
- D: Dave · Discover · Dodge & Cox · Dollar Bank
- E: EagleBank · East West Bank · Eastern · Elevations CU · ESL Federal CU
- F: F&M Bank · Fifth Third Bank · Firefighters First · First Citizens · First Command · First Commonwealth · First Financial Bank · First Hawaiian · First Horizon · First Interstate · First Intl Bank · First Merchants · First National Bank · First National Bank Alaska · First Savings · First Tech · First United Bank · First Western Trust · FirstBank Puerto Rico · Flagstar Bank · FNBO · FourLeaf FCU · Frost · Fulton Bank
- G: Gate City · GE Credit Union · Glacier Bancorp · Glacier Bank · Global CU · GO2bank · Great Plains Bank · Great Southern Bank · Greenwood · Greylock FCU
- H: Hancock Whitney · Hanmi · Happen Bank · HSBC · Huntington
- I: IBC Bank · Idaho Central CU · Independent Bank · iQ Credit Union
- J: Jeanne D'Arc CU
- K: KeyBank · Kinecta
- L: Lake Trust · Langley · Ledyard Bank · Lili · Live Oak Bank · LMCU · Logix
- M: M&T Bank · Maine Savings FCU · Marcus · Mascoma Bank · Mechanics Bank · Merchants Bank of Indiana · Mercury · Merrick Bank · MHV FCU · MidFirst · Midland States · Mission Fed · Mountain America · Mountain Heritage FCU · MSUFCU · MVB Bank
- N: Navy Federal · NBH Bank · NBT Bank · Northern Trust · Northrim Bank · Northwest · Novo
- O: OceanFirst · Old National · Optum Bank · Oriental · Origin
- P: PayPal · Pinnacle Bank · Pinnacle Bank (NE) · PlainsCapital · Platte Valley Bank · PNC Bank · Popular Bank · Prosperity Bank · Provident
- R: Regions · Renasant Bank · Republic Bank · Revolut · Rockland Trust
- S: S&T Bank · Sallie Mae Bank · Santander · Schwab · Seacoast Bank · ServisFirst · Simmons Bank · SoFi · SouthState Bank · Step · Stock Yards Bank · Synchrony
- T: TD Bank · Texas Capital · Third Federal · TowneBank · Tri Counties Bank · Triumph · Truist · TrustCo Bank
- U: U.S. Bank · UMB Bank · United Community · Upgrade · USAA
- V: Valley · Varo Bank · Venmo
- W: WaFd Bank · Washington Trust · Webster · Wells Fargo · WesBanco · Westamerica Bank · Western Alliance · Wintrust · Woodforest · WSFS Bank
- Z: Zions Bank
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, with your state's recording instructions.
Small Estate Affidavit
Collect a small estate's property without probate — the sworn affidavit presented to banks and other holders, with a presentation letter for each.
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, composed to your state's statute, with the state's filing or delivery instructions.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor can charge for administering an estate.
Can I Self-File Probate?
Whether your state lets you open probate yourself, and what it costs with a lawyer and without one.
How Do I Get Appointed as Executor?
See the court, petition, bond, and documents needed to be appointed and receive your Letters.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
Find creditor claim deadlines, notice requirements, and payment priority order for your state.
What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?
See the order your state pays an insolvent estate's debts and which claims go unpaid.
What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?
Estimate the fair market value of household items for probate and see how it affects fees.
