How Do I Open an Estate Account at First Interstate?
First Interstate 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 Interstate
Where to open it
In a branch
What First Interstate says about small estates
The booklet states that when one spouse dies, ownership of community property does not automatically pass to the survivor, and the deceased spouse can pass that interest by will.Your Deposit Account BookletView source
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
Documents to bring
- Court order appointing the executor or administrator
- Name, address, date of birth, and driver's license or other ID for the person opening the account
What it costs
First Interstate does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Schedule that applies
- Fee Schedule, effective August 3, 2026, one bank-wide schedule for consumer and business accounts; which side an estate account falls on is not stated
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Checking | $25 | $25.00 | minimum daily balance of $10,000 per statement cycle, or combined minimum daily balance of $50,000 |
| Select Checking | $25 | $15.00 | minimum daily balance of $1,500.00, combined daily balance of $5,000, an owner/signer aged 60 or more, or bank employee |
| Orange Checking | $25 | $5.00 each statement cycle if you receive paper statements | no charge if you enroll in Online Banking and choose electronic statements |
| Regular Savings | $25 | ||
| Money Market Savings | $100 | ||
| Classic Business Checking | $100 | $10 per Statement Cycle | $500 minimum daily balance, or $5,000 minimum daily balance in combined Business Deposit Account balances |
| Enhanced Business Checking | $100 | $15 per Statement Cycle | $5,000 / $10,000 combined |
| Analyzed Business Checking | $100 | $15 per Statement Cycle | |
| Community Checking | $100 | No maintenance fee |
What to know at First Interstate
First Interstate opens estate accounts under the Fiduciary Accounts clause of its deposit agreement, which lets executors and administrators under court orders open and maintain an account. Its online application excludes business, trust and other specialty accounts, which are opened at a branch, and does not say whether an estate account falls in that group.
Not in First Interstate's published guidance
- Whether it can be opened online, 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
- 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 23, 2026
First Interstate's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch.
First Interstate asks for: Court order appointing the executor or administrator; Name, address, date of birth, and driver's license or other ID for the person opening the account.
First Interstate does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of First Interstate's 9 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.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
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.
