How Do I Open an Estate Account at Washington Trust?
Washington Trust opens estate accounts for a court-appointed executor or administrator. The account is opened in a branch. The documents it asks for, what the account costs, and the steps it lists are below.
Opening an estate account at Washington Trust
Where to open it
In a branch
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
- Online
- Not available; 47 of the 153 banks here say the same
Documents to bring
- Government-issued photo ID for the executor or administrator, such as a driver's license, state ID, or passport
What it costs
Washington Trust does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account.
- Other waivers
- Freedom Checking's maintenance service charge is not assessed on an account under the name of a Trust or an Estate
- Schedule that applies
- Not stated for estate accounts; Consumer Fee Schedule or Business Fee Schedule (each Effective August 17, 2026)
- For estate accounts
- Freedom Checking Truth in Savings Disclosure: "No fee will be assessed if Tax Reported Owner is 62 and older, or if under the name of a Trust or an Estate." A Freedom Checking account titled to an estate carries no maintenance fee
- Other charges
- Inactivity fee $20 on a checking or savings account with a balance under $500 and no deposits or withdrawals from May 31st of the prior year to June 1st of the current year
| Account | To open | Monthly fee | Waiver or condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Checking | $25.00 | $5.00 | one direct deposit each month; no fee if under the name of a Trust or an Estate |
| Simply Free Checking | $25.00 | None published | |
| Freedom Plus Checking | $25.00 | $15.00 | $5,000 aggregate |
| Freedom Ultra Checking | $25.00 | $30.00 | $25,000 average collected daily balance |
| Personal Money Market | $2,500.00 | $10.00 | $2,500 average daily balance |
| WTC Small Business Checking | $50.00 | None published | |
| Business Relationship I Checking | $50.00 | $10.00 | $5,000 aggregate under the same TIN |
| Business Relationship II Checking | $50.00 | $15.00 | $25,000 aggregate under the same TIN |
| Business Relationship III Checking | $50.00 | $40.00 | $50,000 aggregate under the same TIN |
| Non-Profit Checking | $50.00 | None published | |
| Business Money Market | $2,500.00 | $10.00 | $2,500 average daily balance |
What to know at Washington Trust
Washington Trust's Consumer Terms and Conditions of Your Account lets executors and administrators under court orders open accounts. Its branches are in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Not in Washington Trust's published guidance
- Whether it can be opened by phone or by mail
- 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 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
No. Washington Trust states an estate account cannot be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch.
Washington Trust asks for: Government-issued photo ID for the executor or administrator, such as a driver's license, state ID, or passport.
Washington Trust does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for an estate account. Freedom Checking Truth in Savings Disclosure: "No fee will be assessed if Tax Reported Owner is 62 and older, or if under the name of a Trust or an Estate." A Freedom Checking account titled to an estate carries no maintenance fee. The estate account carries the fees of whichever of Washington Trust's 11 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.
