How Do I Open an Estate Account at Clearview FCU?
Clearview FCU 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 Clearview FCU
Account type: Estate checking account, Estate savings account
Where to open it
Not published by Clearview FCU
How it opens
- Online
- Not available
Who can open it
- Existing customer
- Required
- Membership
- Required
- Death certificate
- Certified copy
Documents to bring
- A certified copy of the member's death certificate
- A tax ID number (TIN) for the estate
- Court documents designating the estate executor, administrator, or voluntary administrator
- Current identification of the estate executor, administrator, or voluntary administrator
Steps at Clearview FCU
- 1Obtain a tax ID number (TIN) for the estate from the IRS and the court documents designating the executor, administrator or voluntary administrator.
- 2Choose checking or savings; Clearview offers the estate account in either form.
- 3Present a certified copy of the member's death certificate, the estate's TIN, your court documents and your current identification.
What it costs
Clearview FCU does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- No estate-scoped waiver. Absolute Checking fee is tiered by owner age; the Low Activity/Relationship fee and the Paper Statement fee are waived by member age
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; consumer Truth-in-Savings Disclosure and Fee Schedule (effective 08/03/2026); no business fee schedule is published
- Other charges
- Inactive Accounts 12 months $10.00 /month; Account Closing within 90 days $10.00; Paper Statement fee $5.00 / month; Low Activity/Relationship fee $3.00 / month
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearview Savings | $10.00 | ||
| Absolute Checking | $0.00 | Age 26 and older $6.00 / month; Age 25 and younger $3.00 / month | ADB of $10,000 combined deposit balances OR $20,000 combined deposit and loan balances OR $5,000 monthly direct deposits |
| Fresh Start/Fresh Start Pro Checking | Without direct deposit $9.95 / month; with direct deposit $7.95 / month | ||
| Clearview Money Market | $0.00 | $7.50 / month | Average Daily Balance (ADB) of $1,000.00 |
| Relationship Money Market | $0.00 | $10.00 / month | ADB of $5,000.00 or $20,000.00 or more in combined deposit balances |
| Basic Business Checking | $0 | Minimum balance required $0 | |
| Business Checking Plus | $10 | Minimum balance required $0 | |
| Business Dividend Checking | $0 | Minimum balance required $0 | |
| Business Dividend Checking Plus | $10 | Minimum balance required $0 | |
| IOLTA | $0 | Minimum balance required $0 |
What to know at Clearview FCU
Clearview offers an estate account only when the deceased was a Clearview member in good standing at the time of their passing. Its Deceased Specialists answer at Care Center extensions 21315 and 21264. Clearview's guide uses New York terms such as voluntary administrator and Surrogate's Court; Pennsylvania appointments come from the county Register of Wills.
Not in Clearview FCU's published guidance
- Whether it can be opened in a branch, by phone, or by mail
- Whether a branch appointment is needed
- Whether every co-executor must sign or appear
- Whether an out-of-state executor can open one
- 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
No. Clearview FCU states an estate account cannot be opened online.
Clearview FCU asks for: A certified copy of the member's death certificate; A tax ID number (TIN) for the estate; Court documents designating the estate executor, administrator, or voluntary administrator; Current identification of the estate executor, administrator, or voluntary administrator.
Clearview FCU does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. Clearview FCU's 10 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 Clearview FCU primary sources (7 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.
