How Do I Open an Estate Account at Amerant?
Amerant opens estate accounts for a court-appointed executor or administrator. The documents it asks for, what the account costs, and the steps it lists are below.
Opening an estate account at Amerant
Where to open it
Not published by Amerant
Documents to bring
- Affidavit, certification or other documentation of the fiduciary relationship, if requested
- Legal name, address, and Tax Identification Number (Employer Identification Number for a legal entity)
- One or more forms of unexpired government-issued photo ID for the person opening the account
- Signature card signed by the fiduciary and all authorized signers
What it costs
Amerant does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- No estate or fiduciary waiver or exclusion is published; the non-balance waivers published are product conditions such as e-Statements, direct deposit or debit card use
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; candidates are the Personal CASA Grid (July 2026) and the Business CASA Grid (May 2025)
- Other charges
- Dormant Accounts (inactive for 365 days) $25 per statement cycle
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value Checking | $50 | $5 | Enroll in e-Statements or Monthly Direct Deposit or complete 4 Debit Card transactions per statement cycle |
| Interest Checking | $100 | $15 | average balance of $2,500 per statement cycle |
| Student Checking | $100 | $5 | waived with e-Statements |
| Savings | $50 | $5 | average balance of $300, or $1 in a Checking, Interest Checking or Money Market Account on the last business day |
| Money Market | $100 | $25 | average balance of $5,000, or $25,000 combined monthly average balance in other deposit or loan accounts |
| Relationship Money Market | $100 | $35 | average balance of $50,000 |
| Personal Time Deposit | $1,000 | None | |
| IRA | $1,000 | None | |
| Business Checking | $100 | $30/month | average balance of $3,500 per statement cycle and Enroll In Online Statements |
| Business Interest Checking | $100 | $20/month | average balance of $5,000 |
| Business Advantage | $100 | $40/month | average balance of $25,000 |
| Business Edge | $100 | $75/month | average balance of $75,000 |
| Business Savings | $100 | $10/month | |
| Business Money Market | $100 | $10/month | average balance of $5,000 |
| Business Checking Plus | $100 | $25/month | average balance of $5,000 |
| Business Analysis | $100 | $25/month | |
| Business Escrow (DESA) | $100 | Contact Treasury Management for more information on fees |
What to know at Amerant
Amerant's deposit agreement treats an account opened by a personal representative as a fiduciary account, and its Private Client Services associates manage estate, guardianship and trust fiduciary portfolios. An account opened on an applied-for EIN is closed if the EIN is not provided in time. A change of authorized signers takes effect five (5) business days after Amerant receives the documents.
Not in Amerant's published guidance
- Whether a branch appointment is needed
- Whether every co-executor must sign or appear
- Whether the deceased must have banked there
- Whether an out-of-state executor can open one
- Whether the death certificate must be a certified copy
- What proof of the EIN it accepts
- Whether the account comes with online banking, checks, a debit card, or mobile deposit
- How the deceased's balances reach the estate account
General information about each bank's published estate-account requirements, not legal or banking advice. Requirements vary by state and account type. Consult the institution for its current requirements. Data verified Sep 17, 2026
Amerant's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Amerant asks for: Affidavit, certification or other documentation of the fiduciary relationship, if requested; Legal name, address, and Tax Identification Number (Employer Identification Number for a legal entity); One or more forms of unexpired government-issued photo ID for the person opening the account; Signature card signed by the fiduciary and all authorized signers.
Amerant does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. Amerant's 17 published accounts are listed above with their fees and waivers; the estate account carries the fees of the account it is opened as.
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.
Sources
Data sourced from Amerant primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
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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.
