How Do I Open an Estate Account at GE Credit Union?
GE Credit Union 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 GE Credit Union
Where to open it
Not published by GE Credit Union
In 1 of the 2 states GE Credit Union operates in, state law lets a credit union pay from a deceased member's balance without letters testamentary or letters of administration.
Who can open it
- Membership
- Required
Documents to bring
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate
- The executor's GECU membership, or eligibility for it
Steps at GE Credit Union
- 1Contact the Specialized Account Group about opening the estate account at 513-204-4899 or 800-542-7093 x4899, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, or at specializedaccounts@gecreditunion.org.
- 2Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate from the IRS.
- 3Join GECU or confirm you qualify for membership through an eligible Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana county, a named employer or congregation, or family or household of a member.
What it costs
GE Credit Union does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Schedule that applies
- Current Business and Consumer Fee Schedule (Effective: March 1, 2025; 1000-0005-Rev-07.26); the product is not stated for estate accounts
- Other charges
- Inactive Account $6 per month after 365 calendar days without transaction activity
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Free Checking | $25.00 | $0 | |
| Choice Checking | $25.00 | $10.00 | $500 average daily balance |
| Amplified High-Yield Checking | $25.00 | $15.00 | $1,500 average daily balance |
| Simply Free Business Checking | $25.00 | $0 | |
| Premier Business Checking | $25.00 | $15 | $10,000 average daily balance |
What to know at GE Credit Union
GECU opens either a checking or a savings account as the estate account. Estate accounts cannot use the Online Money Movement external funds transfer service. The inactivity fee has no estate exemption, and GECU may close an account whose fees reduce it to zero without further notice.
Not in GE Credit Union's published guidance
- Whether a branch appointment is needed
- Whether every co-executor must sign or appear
- 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
- 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
GE Credit Union's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
GE Credit Union asks for: Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate; The executor's GECU membership, or eligibility for it.
GE Credit Union 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 GE Credit Union's 5 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.
