How Do I Open an Estate Account at American Savings Bank?
American Savings Bank opens estate accounts for a court-appointed executor or administrator. The account is opened in a branch. The documents it asks for, what the account costs, and the steps it lists are below.
Opening an estate account at American Savings Bank
Where to open it
In a branch
What American Savings Bank says about small estates
ASB generally does not accept court orders from outside Hawaii, including Letters Testamentary, because it takes the view that other courts lack jurisdiction over Hawaii property such as bank accounts. An executor from another state usually needs an order from a Hawaii court.Deceased Customer HelpView source
An Affidavit for Collection executed in another state is accepted, and so are notarized written instructions.Deceased Customer HelpView source
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
Documents to bring
- Letters of Testamentary
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN)
- Government-issued ID
What it costs
- Opening deposit
- $100 (minimum opening deposit stated for all three business checking accounts; no estate-specific figure is published)
What to know at American Savings Bank
American Savings Bank opens an estate account as a business account, listing Estate as an entity type on its business Account Opening Checklist. An administrator of an estate without a will falls under the checklist's Other Fiduciary row, which calls for Letters of Administration. When a customer dies, a representative helps set up accounts at the bank for the estate or heirs once the required documents are submitted.
Not in American Savings Bank's published guidance
- Whether it can be opened online, by phone, or by mail
- Whether a branch appointment is needed
- Whether every co-executor must sign or appear
- Whether the estate's EIN is needed before opening
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 23, 2026
American Savings Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch.
American Savings Bank asks for: Letters of Testamentary; Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN); Government-issued ID.
Opening deposit: $100 (minimum opening deposit stated for all three business checking accounts; no estate-specific figure is published).
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.
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Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
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 taxes. Run each tool for your state.
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 Letters Testamentary?
See the court that issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the petition, the bond, and the documents to file.
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.
How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property?
See where to search for a deceased person's unclaimed property and what each state asks an heir or executor to send.
