How Do I Open an Estate Account at Flagstar Bank?

Flagstar Bank'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 Flagstar Bank

Where to open it

Not stated — contact Flagstar Bank

Before you go

The account is opened under the estate's EIN — not the deceased's Social Security Number. Get the estate's EIN free

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 order appointing the executor or administrator (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) — the deposit agreement permits fiduciary accounts opened "as executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders"
Estate EIN (Employer Identification Number) — the agreement's taxpayer-identification instructions require a valid estate to furnish the legal entity's name and Employer Identification Number, and the Bank may refuse to open any account without a certified TIN
Executor's identifying information — name, address, date of birth; the Bank may also ask to see a driver's license or other identifying documents (federal customer identification requirements in Section 1 of the Terms and Conditions)

What to know at Flagstar Bank

Flagstar publishes no estate-account opening page, application, or FAQ; the only primary-source basis is the consumer deposit booklet "All About Your Accounts" (containing the New York Community Bank-division agreement dated 12/2022 and the Flagstar "Terms and Conditions of Your Account" Rev 2/24). Section 29 of the Terms and Conditions permits accounts opened by executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders, but Flagstar documents no opening channel, appointment policy, minimum deposit, or estate-specific account product. The banking-forms page lists Certificate of Trust forms but no estate or fiduciary account application. General customer service: 1-888-248-6423.

Estate services: 1-888-248-6423View Flagstar Bank'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

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

Flagstar Bank asks for: Court order appointing the executor or administrator (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) — the deposit agreement permits fiduciary accounts opened "as executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders"; Estate EIN (Employer Identification Number) — the agreement's taxpayer-identification instructions require a valid estate to furnish the legal entity's name and Employer Identification Number, and the Bank may refuse to open any account without a certified TIN; Executor's identifying information — name, address, date of birth; the Bank may also ask to see a driver's license or other identifying documents (federal customer identification requirements in Section 1 of the Terms and Conditions).

Yes. Flagstar Bank opens the account under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS — the deceased's Social Security Number cannot be used. Getting the EIN is the first step.

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