How Do I Open an Estate Account at Pinnacle Bank?

Pinnacle 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 Pinnacle Bank

Where to open it

In a branch

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: Available
Online: Not available
By phone: Not stated
By mail: Not stated
Appointment: Not stated
Co-executors: Not stated

Documents to bring

Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (the deposit agreement defines a fiduciary account as one "opened by a court appointed individual," and the court order or other document under which the account is opened governs titling and signatory authority)
Estate EIN (the agreement states the TIN for estates is their Employer Identification Number, certified on the signature card or IRS Form W-9)
Government-issued photo ID for the executor or administrator (the Account Opening section states the bank will ask for identifying information and may ask to see a driver's license, state ID, passport, or other primary identifying documents)
Signature card designating the fiduciary capacity (the agreement requires the fiduciary's capacity to be "designated as such on the signature card")

Steps at Pinnacle Bank

1
Obtain Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court -- Pinnacle's deposit agreement defines a fiduciary account as one opened by a court-appointed individual
2
Obtain an EIN for the estate from the IRS -- the agreement states that for estates the taxpayer identification number is an EIN, which the IRS requires the bank to obtain and which is certified under penalty of perjury on the signature card or a Form W-9
3
Visit a Pinnacle Bank office with your Letters, the estate EIN, and government-issued photo ID -- Pinnacle's online account opening is limited to personal checking and savings accounts and requires a U.S. Social Security number, so it cannot open an EIN-titled estate account
4
Complete the signature card with the fiduciary capacity designated as such -- the agreement conditions the account on this designation, and the terms of the court order under which the account is opened govern the titling and signatory authority
5
Pinnacle then follows the fiduciary's directions on the account until it receives written notice, in a form satisfactory to the bank, that the fiduciary's authority has been terminated

What to know at Pinnacle Bank

Pinnacle publishes no standalone estate-account product page; the governing terms are the "Fiduciary" ownership clause of the Disclosures and Deposit Account Agreement (June 2025). The agreement names estates (with guardianships and conservatorships) as fiduciary accounts, disclaims any duty to supervise or monitor transactions within them or to inquire into the fiduciary's powers, and reserves the right -- but not the obligation -- to review the court order under which the account is opened. Estate accounts are exempt from the Overdraft Privilege program (listed alongside Money Market, Representative Payee, and Fiduciary accounts). On withdrawals, using "and" to connect the names of co-fiduciaries in the account title does not require more than one to authorize a withdrawal -- such a restriction must be explicit, so co-executors who want dual control must ask for it. Online account opening is limited to personal checking and savings for U.S. individuals with a Social Security number; CDs and business accounts are directed to a Pinnacle office. No minimum opening deposit, Letters recency window, or appointment requirement is published for estate accounts. Following the January 2, 2026 Synovus merger, Pinnacle offices cannot service legacy Synovus relationships (and vice versa) until the systems conversion expected in the first half of 2027.

Estate services: 1-800-264-3613View Pinnacle 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

No. Pinnacle Bank states an estate account cannot be opened online. Opening is done in person at a branch.

Pinnacle Bank asks for: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (the deposit agreement defines a fiduciary account as one "opened by a court appointed individual," and the court order or other document under which the account is opened governs titling and signatory authority); Estate EIN (the agreement states the TIN for estates is their Employer Identification Number, certified on the signature card or IRS Form W-9); Government-issued photo ID for the executor or administrator (the Account Opening section states the bank will ask for identifying information and may ask to see a driver's license, state ID, passport, or other primary identifying documents); Signature card designating the fiduciary capacity (the agreement requires the fiduciary's capacity to be "designated as such on the signature card").

Yes. Pinnacle 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.

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