How Do I Open an Estate Account at WaFd Bank?
WaFd 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 WaFd Bank
Where to open it
Not published by WaFd Bank
Documents to bring
- Evidence of authority setting forth the name and title of each Authorized Signer
- Certified copy of the court order, if requested
- Government-issued ID and identifying information for the account opener and each Authorized Signer
What it costs
WaFd Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Schedule that applies
- Schedule of Business Fees & Service Charges, effective 6/1/2026
- For estate accounts
- The Business Deposit Account Agreement & Disclosures (MAY 2025) defines "You" and "your" to include an "estate" among business-purpose entities and defines "Business Fee Schedule" as the Schedule of Business Fees & Service Charges, so the business schedule governs an estate account
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Business Checking | $100 | No monthly service charge | |
| Business Interest Checking | $15 per month | $5,000 minimum daily balance | |
| Business Savings | $25 | $5 per month | $200 |
| Business Money Market | $100 | $12 per month | $1,000 |
| Business Premium Money Market | $100 | $12 per month | $1,000 |
| Business Indexed Money Market | $25,000 | $12 per month | $25,000 |
| Premier Analysis Checking | $0 | $75 per month | |
| Premier Analysis Plus Checking | $0 | $150 per month |
What to know at WaFd Bank
WaFd opens an estate account as a business account: its Business Deposit Account Agreement lists an estate among the business-purpose entities an account is held for. Its personal and business agreements both recognize fiduciary accounts opened by executors and administrators, and WaFd may rely on any document or statement a fiduciary gives it. Once a person is removed from an account, checks payable to the deceased can no longer be deposited.
Not in WaFd Bank's published guidance
- 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 17, 2026
WaFd Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
WaFd Bank asks for: Evidence of authority setting forth the name and title of each Authorized Signer; Certified copy of the court order, if requested; Government-issued ID and identifying information for the account opener and each Authorized Signer.
WaFd Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. The Business Deposit Account Agreement & Disclosures (MAY 2025) defines "You" and "your" to include an "estate" among business-purpose entities and defines "Business Fee Schedule" as the Schedule of Business Fees & Service Charges, so the business schedule governs an estate account. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of WaFd Bank's 8 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.
