How Do I Open an Estate Account at UMB Bank?
UMB 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 UMB Bank
Account type: UMB Fiduciary Account Checking
Where to open it
Not published by UMB Bank
In 2 of the 14 states UMB Bank operates in, state law lets a bank pay a deceased depositor's balance to family without letters testamentary or letters of administration. Pick a state for its rule.
Documents to bring
- Name, address, and date of birth of the fiduciary; driver's license or other identifying documents if asked
- Certified U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number for the accountholder
What it costs
UMB Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- No fee waiver is published for UMB Fiduciary Account Checking; it is exempt from the Dormant Account Charge
- Schedule that applies
- UMB Consumer Banking Schedule of Service Fees and Charges (Effective July 14, 2025)
- For estate accounts
- The Dormant Account Charge of $5.00 per month does not apply to UMB Fiduciary Account Checking. The Deposit Account Agreement classifies a fiduciary account as a Consumer Banking account
- Other charges
- Close account within 90 days of establishing: $30.00
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| UMB Select Checking | $1,000 | $20 | $5,000 average collected balance, $10,000 in combined deposit balances, or $25,000 in combined deposit and loan balances |
| UMB Value Checking | $100 | $8 | $1,500 average collected balance, $3,000 in combined deposit balances, or a single direct deposit of $250 or more |
| UMB Free Checking | $10 | No fee | |
| UMB Check-Free Banking | $10 | $5 |
What to know at UMB Bank
UMB classifies a fiduciary account, including one held by an executor or administrator, as a Consumer Banking account. Each fiduciary on the account may act on it alone to the extent the law allows, and UMB is not responsible for a fiduciary's compliance with the court order or other document creating the role. UMB assumes every power of attorney ends at the principal's death unless state law provides otherwise.
Not in UMB Bank's published guidance
- 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 24, 2026
UMB Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
UMB Bank asks for: Name, address, and date of birth of the fiduciary; driver's license or other identifying documents if asked; Certified U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number for the accountholder.
UMB Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. The Dormant Account Charge of $5.00 per month does not apply to UMB Fiduciary Account Checking. The Deposit Account Agreement classifies a fiduciary account as a Consumer Banking account. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of UMB Bank's 4 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.
