How Do I Open an Estate Account at Simmons Bank?
Simmons 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 Simmons Bank
Where to open it
Not published by Simmons Bank
In 2 of the 6 states Simmons Bank operates in, state law lets a bank pay from a deceased depositor's balance without letters testamentary or letters of administration.
Documents to bring
- Court order appointing the executor or administrator
What it costs
Simmons Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- Under Signature Checking, a primary account holder that is a fiduciary is not eligible for the waiver; Private Banking Checking is available to Individuals only
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; both agreements incorporate a "Schedule of Fees and Charges" that is not published online
- For estate accounts
- Simmons Signature Checking: "A primary account holder that is a fiduciary (such as a Representative Payee or Trustee) is not eligible for the waiver." The sentence follows the age-test waiver condition; the agreement does not say whether it reaches the other conditions. Estates are not named
- Other charges
- Dormant Account Fee $10.00/month after 365 days with no customer-initiated activity, only when the daily balance is under $1,000.00; Paper Statement Fee $3.00 on most personal accounts, $5.00 on business accounts
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $10.00 | |
| Signature Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $6.00 | $500.00 daily balance, $1,000.00 average daily balance, $500.00 direct deposits, 10 debit card transactions, or age test |
| Signature Plus Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $12.00 | $2,500.00 daily balance, $5,000.00 average daily balance, $5,000.00 in qualifying direct deposits, or military status |
| Classic Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $6.00 | $500.00 minimum daily or $1,000.00 average daily balance |
| Interest Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $10.00 | charged if the daily balance falls below $1,000.00 |
| Prosper Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $10.00 ($8.00 with a direct deposit) | |
| Private Banking Checking | $10,000 | $25.00 | |
| Simply Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $0 | |
| Boost Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $0 | |
| Coin Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $0 | |
| Business Core Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $10.00 | $1,500.00 minimum daily balance or a qualifying open business loan |
| Business Plus Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $20.00 | |
| Non-Profit Checking | No minimum; $0.01 within 45 days of opening | $5.00 | |
| Private Banking money market | $25,000 |
Once it is open
- Online banking
- Available
What to know at Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank opens estate accounts under the Fiduciary Accounts clause in both its Personal Banking and Business Banking Terms and Conditions of Your Account, for executors or administrators appointed under court orders, and takes no obligation to monitor or enforce the terms of the letters. Its online account opening is limited to six consumer products for residents of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
Not in Simmons Bank'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 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 17, 2026
Simmons Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Simmons Bank asks for: Court order appointing the executor or administrator.
Simmons Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. Simmons Signature Checking: "A primary account holder that is a fiduciary (such as a Representative Payee or Trustee) is not eligible for the waiver." The sentence follows the age-test waiver condition; the agreement does not say whether it reaches the other conditions. Estates are not named. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of Simmons Bank's 14 published accounts 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.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
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 taxes. Run each tool for your state.
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 Letters Testamentary?
See the court that issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the petition, the bond, and the documents to file.
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.
How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property?
See where to search for a deceased person's unclaimed property and what each state asks an heir or executor to send.
