How Do I Open an Estate Account at American Savings Bank?
American Savings Bank's estate-account opening requirements: where the account can be opened, the documents to bring, and the EIN requirement.
Opening an estate account at American Savings Bank
Account type: business checking, business savings, business CD
Opening channels
- In a branch
- Not stated
- Online
- Not stated
- By phone
- Not stated
- By mail
- Not stated
- Appointment
- Not stated
- Co-executors
- Not stated
- Minimum deposit
- $100 (minimum opening deposit stated for all three business checking accounts; no estate-specific figure is published)
Documents to bring
- Letters of Testamentary (the document American Savings Bank lists for the Estate entity type on its business Account Opening Checklist)
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) (the general tax-ID item on the Account Opening Checklist; the page does not state an estate-specific EIN rule)
- Government-issued ID
What to know at American Savings Bank
American Savings Bank has no dedicated estate-account page. The estate account surfaces on the business Account Opening Checklist ("Open a Business Account"), which lists Estate as an entity type under "Documents needed by business type" with Letters of Testamentary as its document, alongside the general have-ready items (formation documents, EIN or SSN, government-issued ID). The page states that opening a business checking, savings, CD, loan, or line triggers business verification requirements, so estates open under the business deposit account family. No American Savings Bank source states the channels through which an estate account can be opened, whether an appointment is required, whether all co-personal-representatives must appear or sign, a Letters recency window, or an estate-specific EIN rule -- all recorded unclear. The online account-opening application is advertised for personal accounts ("Open a Checking, Savings, or Certificate of Deposit Account online"); no page states whether estate or other fiduciary entity types can or cannot use it. The deceased-customer materials (deceased-customer-help page, Deceased Customer FAQs, and the Decedent Account Guide PDF) cover accessing and claiming the decedent's existing accounts only and are silent on opening a new account titled to the estate.
This guide summarizes each bank's published estate-account requirements and is not legal or banking advice. Requirements may vary by state and account type.
Frequently Asked Questions
American Savings Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
American Savings Bank asks for: Letters of Testamentary (the document American Savings Bank lists for the Estate entity type on its business Account Opening Checklist); Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) (the general tax-ID item on the Account Opening Checklist; the page does not state an estate-specific EIN rule); Government-issued ID.
American Savings Bank's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with American Savings Bank whether all must attend.
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 American Savings Bank primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
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