How Do I Open an Estate Account at Provident?
Provident 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 Provident
Account type: Fiduciary Checking, Fiduciary Checking with Interest
Where to open it
Not published by Provident
How it opens
- Online
- Not available
Documents to bring
- Current Letter Testamentary or Letter of Administration
- Surrogate Certificate, accepted in place of Letters
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate
- Name, address, and date of birth of the account opener; driver's license or other ID if asked
- Signed signature card
What it costs
- Opening deposit
- $50.00 (Fiduciary Checking and Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest)
- Monthly fee
- $0.00 on Fiduciary Checking; $10.00 on Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest below a $1,500.00 average daily balance
- Fee waived at
- None needed on Fiduciary Checking; $1,500.00 average daily balance on Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest
- Schedule that applies
- Business Accounts & Service Fees Schedule, form PV-1605, Effective September 8, 2026
- For estate accounts
- The fee schedule prices the product by name: "Fiduciary Checking: Minimum Opening Deposit $50.00" and "Monthly Maintenance Fee: None". Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest carries a $10.00 Monthly Service Charge below a $1,500.00 average daily balance. Overdraft and stop-payment charges are $35 each.
- Other charges
- Dormant account fee $10.00/month after 3+ years
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiduciary Checking | $50.00 | None | |
| Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest | $50.00 | $10.00 | Average Daily balance $1,500.00 |
Once it is open
- Online banking
- Available
- Checks
- Available
- Debit card
- Issued
What to know at Provident
Provident opens an estate account as Fiduciary Checking or Fiduciary Checking with Interest, in Estate Executor and Estate Administrator variants of the products opened with an EIN. Online banking external transfers are capped at $5,000 per day. Provident takes notice of a death through its Customer Care Center at 1-800-448-7768 or a branch; its Beacon Trust subsidiary, at 1-866-377-8090, handles full estate administration.
Not in Provident's published guidance
- Whether it can be opened in a branch, by phone, or by mail
- 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
- What proof of the EIN it accepts
- Whether the account comes with 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 24, 2026
No. Provident states an estate account cannot be opened online.
Provident asks for: Current Letter Testamentary or Letter of Administration; Surrogate Certificate, accepted in place of Letters; Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate; Name, address, and date of birth of the account opener; driver's license or other ID if asked; Signed signature card.
Opening deposit: $50.00 (Fiduciary Checking and Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest). Monthly fee: $0.00 on Fiduciary Checking; $10.00 on Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest below a $1,500.00 average daily balance. The fee schedule prices the product by name: "Fiduciary Checking: Minimum Opening Deposit $50.00" and "Monthly Maintenance Fee: None". Fiduciary Checking w/ Interest carries a $10.00 Monthly Service Charge below a $1,500.00 average daily balance. Overdraft and stop-payment charges are $35 each. Provident's 2 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 Provident primary sources (8 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.
