How Do I Open an Estate Account at CPB?

CPB's estate-account opening requirements: where the account can be opened, the documents to bring, and the EIN requirement.

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Opening an estate account at CPB

Account type: Estate Account (a Fiduciary Account under the Deposit Account Agreement -- CPB names the category but publishes no estate-specific product page), Performance Business Checking -- the CPB checking product "designed for sole proprietors, fiduciaries and certain non-profit organizations" (tiered interest; the Deposit Account Agreement's NOW-account eligibility clause permits fiduciary-held interest checking)

Where to open it

In a branch

Opening channels

In a branch: Available
Online: Not available
By phone: Not stated
By mail: Not stated
Appointment: Not stated
Co-executors: Not stated
Minimum deposit: $750 for Performance Business Checking, the account CPB designates for fiduciaries ($9 monthly service charge, waived with a $1,500 minimum daily balance); CPB publishes no estate-specific minimum

Documents to bring

Government-issued photo ID and identifying information (name, address, and date of birth) for the person opening the account -- the federal customer identification notice at the head of the Deposit Account Agreement applies to every new account, and CPB "may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents"
Documents and authorizations establishing the personal representative's authority over the estate's funds -- the Fiduciary Accounts clause reserves the right to require "such documents and authorizations as we may deem necessary or appropriate," at account opening and at all times thereafter, and CPB publishes no fixed checklist. The authority documents CPB's own forms recognize for a court-appointed representative are the court appointment papers: its Medallion Signature Guarantee requirements sheet lists "court documents appointing person representative / administrator / executor" and "letters testamentary" and warns "Your document will not be stamped based on a will alone; court appointment documents are required"

What to know at CPB

CPB publishes no estate-account page, no downloadable estate account application, and no opening document checklist -- the Estate Account exists in its public documents only as a named Fiduciary Account category in the Deposit Account Agreement (DCL-001, Revised 02/05/2025), which reserves the right to demand whatever authority documents the bank deems necessary at opening and at all times thereafter. The closest published product fit is Performance Business Checking, the business checking account CPB describes as designed for sole proprietors, fiduciaries, and certain non-profit organizations ($750 minimum opening deposit); the Deposit Account Agreement's NOW-account clause separately permits interest-bearing checking held in a fiduciary capacity. Letters recency: CPB states a 90-day window for Letters Testamentary only in its Medallion Signature Guarantee documentation requirements ("Letters must be received within 90 days of original issuance by the court") -- that governs medallion stamping of securities transfers, not deposit account opening, so no opening-specific recency window is asserted here. The bank publishes no statement that the estate EIN must exist before opening. Out-of-state executors note: CPB's branches are all in Hawaii and its online opening flow is limited to Hawaii-resident consumer accounts; the Customer Service Center (808-544-0500 / 1-800-342-8422) and P.O. Box 3590, Honolulu, HI 96811 are the published remote intake points, with no documented remote estate-account opening path. Alternative: the Trust and Asset Management division (Personal Trust Manager 808-544-3544) provides full probate and estate settlement administration for estates that engage it, in which case the estate's banking runs through the Trust division rather than a branch-opened deposit account.

Estate services: 1-800-342-8422View CPB's guidance

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

No. CPB states an estate account cannot be opened online. Opening is done in person at a branch.

CPB asks for: Government-issued photo ID and identifying information (name, address, and date of birth) for the person opening the account -- the federal customer identification notice at the head of the Deposit Account Agreement applies to every new account, and CPB "may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents"; Documents and authorizations establishing the personal representative's authority over the estate's funds -- the Fiduciary Accounts clause reserves the right to require "such documents and authorizations as we may deem necessary or appropriate," at account opening and at all times thereafter, and CPB publishes no fixed checklist. The authority documents CPB's own forms recognize for a court-appointed representative are the court appointment papers: its Medallion Signature Guarantee requirements sheet lists "court documents appointing person representative / administrator / executor" and "letters testamentary" and warns "Your document will not be stamped based on a will alone; court appointment documents are required".

CPB's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with CPB 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.