How Do I Open an Estate Account at First Citizens?
First Citizens 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 First Citizens
Account type: CORE Business Checking, CORE Business Checking With Interest
Where to open it
In a branch
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
- Online
- Not available
- By phone
- Not available
- By mail
- Not available
Documents to bring
- Court order appointing the executor or administrator
- Government-issued ID and Social Security number for the account signer
- Estate EIN
- Signature card designating the fiduciary capacity
Steps at First Citizens
- 1Visit a First Citizens branch, since the CORE account must be opened in person.
- 2Bring the opening documentation:
- Court order appointing you executor or administrator.
- Government-issued ID and your Social Security number.
- The estate's EIN, if issued.
- 3Have your fiduciary capacity designated on the signature card; otherwise the Deposit Account Agreement treats the account as owned in an individual capacity.
- 4Fund the account with the $100 minimum opening deposit.
What it costs
- Opening deposit
- $100 (CORE Business Checking)
- Monthly fee
- $0 (CORE Business Checking)
- Fee waived at
- Not applicable; no monthly fee and "No set balance minimums"
- Schedule that applies
- Disclosure of Products and Fees - Business Accounts and Services (All States), effective July 11, 2026
- For estate accounts
- First Citizens names the product CORE (Charitable Organization - Religious - Estate) Business Checking; the business fee disclosure gives a $100 minimum deposit to open and "No monthly maintenance fee"
| Account | To open | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|
| CORE Business Checking | $100 | |
| Business Banking I | $0 when enrolled in paperless statements |
What to know at First Citizens
First Citizens opens estate accounts as CORE Business Checking, an account open only to small charitable organizations, small religious institutions and short-term end-of-life estate accounts, and every opening is subject to bank approval. The first 100 items per statement period are free, then $0.50 per item. A CORE Business Checking With Interest version earns interest compounded daily on the daily collected balance.
Not in First Citizens'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 13, 2026
No. First Citizens states an estate account cannot be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch.
First Citizens asks for: Court order appointing the executor or administrator; Government-issued ID and Social Security number for the account signer; Estate EIN; Signature card designating the fiduciary capacity.
Opening deposit: $100 (CORE Business Checking). Monthly fee: $0 (CORE Business Checking). First Citizens names the product CORE (Charitable Organization - Religious - Estate) Business Checking; the business fee disclosure gives a $100 minimum deposit to open and "No monthly maintenance fee". First Citizens's 2 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 First Citizens primary sources (5 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.
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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.
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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.
