How Do I Open an Estate Account at CPB?
CPB 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 CPB
Where to open it
In a branch
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
- Online
- Not available; 47 of the 153 banks here say the same
Documents to bring
- Government-issued photo ID and name, address, and date of birth for the person opening the account
What it costs
CPB does not state the opening deposit for an estate account.
- For estate accounts
- CPB describes Performance Business Checking as designed for sole proprietors, fiduciaries and certain non-profit organizations; it ties no product to estate accounts
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Business Checking | $750 | $9 | $1,500 minimum daily balance |
What to know at CPB
CPB treats an estate account as a fiduciary account under its Deposit Account Agreement and may require any authority documents it deems necessary, at opening and afterward. CPB describes Performance Business Checking as designed for sole proprietors, fiduciaries and certain non-profit organizations. All CPB branches are in Hawaii; its Trust and Asset Management division offers full probate and estate settlement for estates that engage it.
Not in CPB's published guidance
- Whether it can be opened 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
No. CPB states an estate account cannot be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch.
CPB asks for: Government-issued photo ID and name, address, and date of birth for the person opening the account.
CPB does not state the opening deposit for an estate account. CPB describes Performance Business Checking as designed for sole proprietors, fiduciaries and certain non-profit organizations; it ties no product to estate accounts. The estate account carries the fees of CPB's one published account, 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.
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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.
