How Do I Open an Estate Account at WSFS Bank?
WSFS Bank's estate-account opening requirements: where the account can be opened, the documents to bring, and the EIN requirement.
Opening an estate account at WSFS Bank
Opening channels
- In a branch
- Available
- Online
- Not available
- By phone
- Not stated
- By mail
- Not stated
Documents to bring
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration establishing the executor's or administrator's authority
- Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) obtained for the estate (an estate account is titled to the estate, not to an individual's SSN)
- Government-issued photo ID for the executor or administrator
What to know at WSFS Bank
WSFS opens estate accounts as fiduciary accounts under its deposit account agreement. The Relationship Reference Guide (effective July 1, 2025), Section XXIV.F, states that for "all fiduciary accounts, including but not limited to estate accounts... WSFS reserves the right to require such documents and authorizations as it may deem necessary or appropriate to satisfy [it] that the person(s) requesting or directing the withdrawal of funds... have the authority to withdraw such funds," and that this applies "at the time of account opening and at all times thereafter." WSFS publishes no dedicated estate-account product page or FAQ, so the channel and document list are not enumerated on a public page. The online account-opening portal at newaccount.wsfsbank.com is a consumer-only flow (personal products; individual applicants aged 18+ who are U.S. citizens resident in PA, NJ, DE, or MD) with no estate or fiduciary option, so an account titled to an estate cannot be opened online. Estate-account opening and deceased-account matters are handled at a WSFS banking office and through Customer Service at 888.973.7226 (see deathClaimProcess). Expect to present the estate's EIN, the executor's or administrator's Letters, a certified death certificate, and government-issued ID.
This guide summarizes each bank's published estate-account requirements and is not legal or banking advice. Requirements may vary by state and account type.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. WSFS Bank states an estate account cannot be opened online. Opening is done in person at a branch.
WSFS Bank asks for: Certified copy of the death certificate; Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration establishing the executor's or administrator's authority; Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) obtained for the estate (an estate account is titled to the estate, not to an individual's SSN); Government-issued photo ID for the executor or administrator.
WSFS Bank's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with WSFS Bank whether all must attend.
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 WSFS Bank primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
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