How Do I Open an Estate Account at Commerce Bank?
Commerce Bank 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 Commerce Bank
Where to open it
Not published by Commerce Bank
Documents to bring
- Personal-representative (fiduciary) designation on the Commerce Bank signature card
- Original documentation establishing the fiduciary's authority
- Name, address, date of birth, and driver's license or other ID for the person opening the account
What it costs
Commerce Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- No estate or fiduciary waiver or exclusion published. Commerce Relationship Checking: the person listed first on the account must maintain the balances, and business accounts do not qualify
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated; the Deposit Agreement (form CB5965 6/2026) incorporates "Separate schedules of fees", which are not published online
- For estate accounts
- The Deposit Agreement's business-account definition lists "fiduciary" but limits it to entities "operated for profit"
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce Free Checking | $25 | $0 | |
| Commerce Interest Checking | $100 | $12 | at least one direct deposit of $500 or more OR a daily balance of $1,000 in each statement cycle |
| Commerce Relationship Checking | $100 | $22 | $5,000 average daily balance in the account OR $15,000 in combined deposit balances |
| myBusiness Checking | $100 | $5 | waived with a Commerce personal checking account |
| myBusiness Select Checking | $100 | $9 | $2,500 minimum daily balance OR $5,000 daily total deposit balances |
| Small Business Options Checking | $25 | $25 | $25,000 total deposit balances OR $25,000 total loan balances OR $40,000 combined deposit and loan balances |
What to know at Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank's Deposit Agreement recognizes accounts held by a personal representative in a fiduciary capacity. When two or more fiduciaries hold the account, each may act on it independently, and Commerce may restrict the types or sizes of transactions a fiduciary conducts, case by case. The estate account offered by Commerce Financial Advisors, through LPL Financial, is a brokerage account, not a bank deposit account.
Not in Commerce Bank's published guidance
- 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
- 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 16, 2026
Commerce Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Commerce Bank asks for: Personal-representative (fiduciary) designation on the Commerce Bank signature card; Original documentation establishing the fiduciary's authority; Name, address, date of birth, and driver's license or other ID for the person opening the account.
Commerce Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. The Deposit Agreement's business-account definition lists "fiduciary" but limits it to entities "operated for profit". The estate account carries the fees of whichever of Commerce Bank's 6 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.
Sources
Data sourced from Commerce Bank 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 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.
