How Do I Open an Estate Account at Fulton Bank?
Fulton 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 Fulton Bank
Where to open it
Not published by Fulton Bank
Documents to bring
- Court order or other document establishing the fiduciary relationship
What it costs
Fulton Bank does not state the monthly fee for an estate account.
- Opening deposit
- $0 opened in a financial center; $25 opened online
- Fee waived at
- Varies by account
- Other waivers
- Account owners without a birthdate on file (ex. estates, trusts) are not eligible for the foreign ATM fee rebate or the age 50+ foreign ATM fee waiver, check discount or safe deposit box discount
- Schedule that applies
- Consumer Service Fee Disclosure (effective December 3, 2025) with the per-product "A Brief Guide to Your ___ Account" documents (effective 01/05/2026)
- For estate accounts
- For "account owners without a birthdate (ex. estates, trusts)": Statement Savings fee waived only with $100.00 or more each day; Interest Checking only with $1,000 or more each day or ACH direct deposit(s) of $1,000 or more; Xpress Account "not eligible for the waiver or rebate"; no foreign ATM fee rebate
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Checking | $0 in Financial Center; $25 Online | $0 | |
| Xpress Account | $0 in Financial Center; $25 Online | $4.95 | account owners without a birthdate (ex. estates, trusts) are not eligible for the waiver or rebate |
| Statement Savings | $0 in Financial Center; $25 Online | $6.00 | without a birthdate (ex. estates, trusts): minimum balance $100.00 or more each day during the month |
| Interest Checking | $0 in Financial Center; $25 Online | $10 | without a birthdate: $1,000 or more each day, or total ACH direct deposit(s) of $1,000 or more each statement cycle |
| Relationship Banking | $0 in Financial Center; $25 Online | $20 | $5,000 minimum daily balance or $25,000 combined deposit and investment balance, each plus one transaction |
| Premier Relationship Banking | $0 in Financial Center; $25 Online | $30 | $250,000 combined |
| Platinum Money Market | $2,500 minimum daily balance |
What to know at Fulton Bank
Fulton applies separate fee rules to account owners without a birthdate, such as estates. An estate-owned Simply Checking account has no minimum balance and no monthly maintenance fee, and an estate-owned Xpress Account pays $4.95 monthly. Relationship Banking and Premier Relationship Banking waivers carry no birthdate condition, so an estate qualifies on the same terms as any owner.
Not in Fulton 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 17, 2026
Fulton Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Fulton Bank asks for: Court order or other document establishing the fiduciary relationship.
Opening deposit: $0 opened in a financial center; $25 opened online. Fulton Bank does not state the monthly fee for an estate account. For "account owners without a birthdate (ex. estates, trusts)": Statement Savings fee waived only with $100.00 or more each day; Interest Checking only with $1,000 or more each day or ACH direct deposit(s) of $1,000 or more; Xpress Account "not eligible for the waiver or rebate"; no foreign ATM fee rebate. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of Fulton Bank's 7 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.
