How Do I Open an Estate Account at Hancock Whitney?
Hancock Whitney 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 Hancock Whitney
Where to open it
Not published by Hancock Whitney
Documents to bring
- Court-issued letters appointing the fiduciary
- Taxpayer identification number for the account, certified as correct
What it costs
Hancock Whitney does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- No fiduciary, estate or trust-titling exclusion is published on any waiver; the bank does not say how the age-based waivers apply to an estate account
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; Truth-in-Savings Disclosure or Business Account Service Fee Information Disclosure, neither published online
- Other charges
- Closing charge $20 if a personal checking account closes within 180 days; $20 if a business checking account closes within 360 days
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freestyle | $25.00 | $10.00 | one client-initiated transaction per cycle, Priority Checking or Private Wealth relationship, or under 18 or 64 and over |
| Priority Checking | $25.00 | $20.00 | $5,000.00 minimum daily (collected) balance, $7,500 in combined balances, or $250,000 or more in a Trust account |
| Assure | $25.00 | $7.00 | primary account holder under 18 only |
| Essential Business Checking | $50.00 | No monthly service charge | |
| Preferred Business Checking | $50.00 | $18.00 | $5,000.00 minimum daily balance, $25,000 combined business balances, $2,000 monthly card use, or Merchant Services |
| Interest Business Checking | $50.00 | $25.00 | $25,000.00 minimum daily balance, or combined business loan and deposit balances of $50,000 |
What to know at Hancock Whitney
Hancock Whitney's Deposit Agreement lets executors and administrators appointed or recognized under court orders open and maintain fiduciary accounts, and the bank takes no duty to monitor or enforce the terms of the court-issued letters. The bank may refuse to open an account without a TIN. An executor who certifies that the estate has applied for one has 60 days to supply a certified TIN before backup withholding begins.
Not in Hancock Whitney'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 16, 2026
Hancock Whitney's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Hancock Whitney asks for: Court-issued letters appointing the fiduciary; Taxpayer identification number for the account, certified as correct.
Hancock Whitney does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. Hancock Whitney's 6 published accounts are listed above with their fees and waivers; the estate account carries the fees of the account 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.
Sources
Data sourced from Hancock Whitney primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
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Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
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 inheritance taxes.
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 Appointed as Executor?
See the court, petition, bond, and documents needed to be appointed and receive your Letters.
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.
What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?
Estimate the fair market value of household items for probate and see how it affects fees.
