How Do I Open an Estate Account at Arvest?
Arvest 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 Arvest
Where to open it
Not published by Arvest
What Arvest says about small estates
Arvest says "we can't accept a will as proof of your beneficiaries and can't release funds without a Small Estate Claim Affidavit or Letters of Testamentary or Administration."Death of a Loved One ChecklistView source
Documents to bring
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate
What it costs
Arvest does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; Arvest publishes a personal and a business schedule, both headed "Fees listed may not apply to all account types"
- Other charges
- Dormant account fee $5.00 per month on both schedules, avoided with a balance of $10,000 or more or at least one deposit or withdrawal per year
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal checking accounts (except Bright Solutions Checking) | $50 | ||
| Bright Solutions Checking | $25 | $3 | waived only for ages 22 and under |
| Essential | $5 ($2.50 for ages 62+) | $3,000 in total direct deposits into the account OR $5,000 combined deposit balances | |
| Plus | $10 ($5 for ages 62+) | $7,000 / $20,000 | |
| Select | $15 ($7.50 for ages 62+) | $10,000 / $40,000, or $100,000 in Arvest Wealth Management investments, insurance or qualifying managed trusts | |
| Personal Savings and Money Market | $100 | ||
| CDs | $1,000 | ||
| All Business Checking Accounts | $100 | ||
| Free Small Business Checking | No monthly maintenance fee | ||
| Small Business Checking | $10 monthly flat fee | ||
| Small Business Club Checking | $15 | can be offset by maintaining a minimum balance |
What to know at Arvest
Arvest releases a deceased customer's funds only against a Small Estate Claim Affidavit or Letters of Testamentary or Administration, and first returns any government benefits paid on or after the date of death.
Not in Arvest'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
Arvest's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Arvest asks for: Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate.
Arvest does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of Arvest's 11 published accounts 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.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
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.
