How Do I Open an Estate Account at Navy Federal?

Opening channels

In a branch

Available

Online

Not available

By phone

Not available

By mail

Available

Appointment

Not stated

Co-executors

Not stated

Documents to bring

• Letters of administration "with a description stating this is granted by the probate court appointing the executor/administrator of the estate" (the Survivor's Guide calls these "court documents designating an estate executor or administrator")
• IRS-issued Tax Identification Number (EIN) for the estate — apply free with IRS Form SS-4 at irs.gov
• Completed Estate Account Application (Form NFCU 406) with ink signature of the administrator and any co-administrator
• Government-issued ID details for the administrator and any co-administrator (driver's license or government/state ID number is a form field; under federal customer-identification rules Navy Federal "may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents")

Steps at Navy Federal

1. 1
   Obtain the probate-court appointment. The brochure requires letters of administration with a description stating they were granted by the probate court appointing the executor/administrator of the estate.
2. 2
   Apply for an EIN for the estate from the IRS, free, by completing Form SS-4 online at irs.gov, by mail (Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EIN Operation, Cincinnati, OH 45999), or by phone for international applicants at 267-941-1099.
3. 3
   Download the Estate Account Application (Form NFCU 406) at https://www.navyfederal.org/estate (redirects to the form PDF) or call 1-888-842-6328 to request one.
4. 4
   Complete Form NFCU 406:

   • Deceased person's name and Access Number or Social Security number
   • Estate mailing address (cannot be a PO Box), email, phone, and the estate TIN (required)
   • Product elections — the Estate Savings Account and Navy Federal Online Banking are required; checking (Association or Flagship), MMSA/Jumbo MMSA, debit cards, and checks are optional
   • Administrator and any co-administrator details. Current members (defined as members with a Membership Share Savings Account) need only their Access or Social Security number, name, and signature; non-members complete every section, including government ID details and employer
   • If the decedent was not a member: at least one beneficiary must be listed, and every beneficiary must be a Navy Federal member with an open Membership Share Savings Account
   • Ink signatures — the signature blocks state "Ink Signature Required"
5. 5
   Submit the application with the letters of administration and the EIN by mail (Attn: Survivor Support, 5550 Heritage Oaks Drive, Pensacola, FL 32526), by email to survivordocs@navyfederal.org, or at any Navy Federal branch.

What to know at Navy Federal

Membership is the gate, and it runs through the DECEDENT, not the executor: the deceased must have been a Navy Federal member at the time of death, and the estate executor/administrator does not have to be a member or be eligible for membership to open the estate account. If the deceased was not a member, the account may still be opened provided the deceased was eligible for membership on the date of death and all beneficiaries of the estate are current Navy Federal members (each with an open Membership Share Savings Account; the form requires at least one beneficiary listed in that case). A certified death certificate is NOT listed among the estate-account opening documents on either source — the death itself is confirmed through the separate Survivor Support settlement process. Navy Federal does not offer blocked, locked, limited-access, restricted-access, or court-monitored accounts, even with a court order, and cannot sign court documents assigning it as a depository. The estate account is temporary: it must be closed once the estate is settled, the disclosure states the settlement period would normally not exceed two years, and keeping it open longer requires notifying Navy Federal with an expected closure date. Accounts are governed by federal law and Virginia law, and NCUA-insured up to an aggregate of $250,000 across all estate accounts designated for one deceased individual. Copies of paid checks are free on estate checking accounts, and funds are transferable between the estate's accounts online once opened.