How Do I Open an Estate Account at First Horizon?

First Horizon'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 First Horizon

Where to open it

Not stated — contact First Horizon

Opening channels

In a branch: Not stated
Online: Not stated
By phone: Not stated
By mail: Not stated
Appointment: Not stated
Co-executors: Not stated

Documents to bring

Court-issued letters of appointment (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) -- the Depositor Agreement's Fiduciary Accounts clause permits accounts opened by "executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders"
Taxpayer identification number with certification -- the Depositor Agreement's Backup Withholding/TIN Certification clause requires a certified TIN (SSN or EIN) and states "If you do not supply us with the appropriate TIN, we may refuse to open your account"; it does not enumerate the estate account type or state that the EIN must be in hand before opening
Identifying information for the person opening the account -- per the agreement's USA PATRIOT Act notice: "When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents."

What to know at First Horizon

First Horizon publishes no dedicated estate-account-opening page, product, or step-by-step process; every fact here comes from the Depositor Agreement (FHB-AIB 10/2024) and the General Banking FAQs. The Fiduciary Accounts clause names executors and administrators under court orders as persons who may open and maintain an account, so an estate (probate) deposit account is available -- but the agreement does not state which channels can open one, whether a branch appointment is needed, or an estate-specific minimum deposit. On multiple fiduciaries, the agreement provides that funds "shall be subject to withdrawal on the signature of one fiduciary, unless the contrary is noted on the signature card or other account document," and that all co-fiduciaries appoint each other as agent and attorney-in-fact for all transactions -- an operational default; whether all co-executors must sign to OPEN the account is not stated. The TIN clause permits deferred backup withholding "if you certify that you do not have a TIN but have applied for one," so the agreement contemplates opening with an EIN application pending, while also reserving the right to refuse an account with no TIN supplied. The General Banking FAQs state "The minimum balance to open a checking or savings account is $50" -- a general figure, not stated specifically for estate accounts. The agreement's Legal Actions clause (already reflected in the death-claim block) accepts letters of appointment "issued by a court without regard to jurisdiction," so out-of-state Letters are acceptable authority documents at this bank.

Estate services: 1-800-382-5465View First Horizon'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

First Horizon's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.

First Horizon asks for: Court-issued letters of appointment (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) -- the Depositor Agreement's Fiduciary Accounts clause permits accounts opened by "executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders"; Taxpayer identification number with certification -- the Depositor Agreement's Backup Withholding/TIN Certification clause requires a certified TIN (SSN or EIN) and states "If you do not supply us with the appropriate TIN, we may refuse to open your account"; it does not enumerate the estate account type or state that the EIN must be in hand before opening; Identifying information for the person opening the account -- per the agreement's USA PATRIOT Act notice: "When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents.".

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