How Do I Open an Estate Account at PNC Bank?
PNC 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 PNC Bank
Where to open it
Not published by PNC Bank
What it costs
- Opening deposit
- $25.00 on every PNC consumer checking, savings and money market product
- Other waivers
- Estate-titled accounts may not be eligible to be linked for relationship benefits; a fiduciary's date of birth does not qualify the account for the age-based waivers (under-25 / 62-and-over)
- Schedule that applies
- PNC Consumer Schedule of Service Charges and Fees - Checking, Savings and Money Market Accounts (All Markets), effective May 31, 2026 (RDAOPC20-0526)
- For estate accounts
- "Estate" is named among the specialty titlings that may not be eligible to be linked for relationship benefits, which removes the combined-balance route to a fee waiver. A fiduciary's date of birth does not qualify the account for the age-based waivers; the footnote's examples are "Rep Payee, Trustee"
What to know at PNC Bank
PNC's Account Agreement for Personal Accounts requires anyone acting as a personal representative to be designated as such on PNC's records, and PNC may review and retain a copy of the court order or other document that establishes the fiduciary relationship. PNC handles a deceased client's own accounts through a branch appointment for Estate & Decedent Processing, or by phone at 1-888-762-2265.
Not in PNC Bank's published guidance
- Which documents it asks for
- 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 23, 2026
PNC Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
PNC Bank publishes no document list for estate accounts.
Opening deposit: $25.00 on every PNC consumer checking, savings and money market product. "Estate" is named among the specialty titlings that may not be eligible to be linked for relationship benefits, which removes the combined-balance route to a fee waiver. A fiduciary's date of birth does not qualify the account for the age-based waivers; the footnote's examples are "Rep Payee, Trustee".
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 PNC Bank primary sources (5 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.
