How Do I Open an Estate Account at Bellco?
Bellco 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 Bellco
Where to open it
In a branch
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
Documents to bring
- Name, physical residence address, date of birth, taxpayer identification number, and a driver's license if asked
Steps at Bellco
- 1Visit your nearest Bellco branch location to open the estate account.
- 2Bring identification: Bellco asks every person opening an account for name, physical residence address, date of birth and taxpayer identification number, and may ask to see a driver's license.
What it costs
Bellco does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; Truth in Savings Rate and Fee Disclosure or Business Rates and Fees Disclosure (each As of 09/01/2026)
- Other charges
- Inactivity fee $5.00 per month after 1 year of no contact/activity with combined deposits of less than $500; paper statement fee $2.00 per statement; early account closure fee $25.00 if closed within 180 days (consumer)
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership Account | $1.00 | ||
| Premier Money Market | $10,000.00 | $10.00 low balance fee | charged when daily balance drops below the $10,000 minimum |
| Member Money Market | $10.00 low balance fee | charged when daily balance drops below the $1,000 minimum | |
| Consumer High Yield Money Market | $10.00 low balance fee | charged when daily balance drops below the $1,000 minimum | |
| Traditional CD | $500.00 | ||
| Platinum Checking | $0.01 | $12.00 | $15K in combined balances in deposits and loans |
| Boost Interest Checking | $0.01 | ||
| MAX Checking | $3.95 | ||
| Checking Plus | $8.00 per month | ||
| Basic Business Savings | $100 | ||
| Business Savings | $2.00 per month | charged if below $100 Minimum Balance requirement | |
| Business Money Market | $10.00 per month | charged below its minimum | |
| Business Premier Money Market | $10,000 | $12.00 per month | charged below its minimum |
| Business Share Certificates | $500 |
What to know at Bellco
Bellco opens estate accounts at its branches as fiduciary accounts for executors and administrators under court orders, with no duty to supervise them. For the deceased's own accounts, Bellco gives a personal representative full account information once it receives a certified copy of the probate documentation naming them, and it asks for a certified death certificate with the raised seal, which it sends back.
Not in Bellco'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
- Whether the deceased must have banked there
- Membership requirements
- Whether an out-of-state executor can open one
- Whether the death certificate must be a certified copy
- 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
Bellco's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch.
Bellco asks for: Name, physical residence address, date of birth, taxpayer identification number, and a driver's license if asked.
Bellco does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. Bellco's 14 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 Bellco primary sources (11 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.
