How Do I Open a Trust Account at U.S. Bank?

Yes. U.S. Bank opens deposit accounts in the name of a revocable living trust. What U.S. Bank publishes about opening an account in the name of a revocable living trust, and what the successor trustee brings after a death.

Opening a trust account at U.S. Bank

Where to open it

In a branch

Opening or retitling

In a branch
Available

Steps at U.S. Bank

  1. 1
    Make an appointment at a U.S. Bank branch to allow time for questions and processing.
  2. 2
    Visit the branch, where a banker helps with the trust account application.

What it costs

U.S. Bank does not state the opening deposit, monthly fee, or fee-waiver balance for a trust account.

Schedule that applies
Not stated; no U.S. Bank pricing document names a trust-titled deposit account
For trust accounts
Balances held as trustee, as grantor, or in any irrevocable trust role do not count toward the U.S. Bank Smart Rewards balance that can waive the Smartly Checking fee.
U.S. Bank's published accounts. The trust account carries the fees of the account it is opened as.
AccountTo openMonthly feeWaiver or condition
U.S. Bank Smartly Checking$25$12Waived the first 2 statement periods, then: combined monthly direct deposit totaling $1,500+, or average account balance of $1,500 or greater, or account owner on a U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card, or account owner on an eligible small business checking account; also waived by Smart Rewards tier (Silver and above) and by customer group (Senior age 65 or over, Youth, Young Adult, Military, Alliance, Workplace)
Safe Debit Account$25$4.95Monthly Maintenance Fee cannot be waived
U.S. Bank Smartly Savings$25$5Account owner on a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking or Safe Debit account, or account owner on a U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card, or account holder(s) age 17 or younger
Elite Money Market$100$10$10,000 minimum daily balance, or account owner on a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking with a minimum of Gold Tier

What to know at U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank offers "two basic structures for our trust accounts: revocable and irrevocable" and treats accounts "in the name of ... trusts" as non-personal accounts. The "Revocable Trust" title in its deposit agreement is the Pay-on-Death (Totten) account, not a living-trust account, and its Personal Trust and Trust and Investments accounts are Wealth Management products.

Not in U.S. Bank's published guidance

  • Which documents it asks for
  • Whether it can be opened online, by phone, or by mail
  • Whether the account is opened under the grantor's SSN or the trust's EIN
  • Whether a certification of trust or the full trust document is needed
  • Whether it has its own certification of trust form
  • Whether an existing account can be retitled to the trust
  • Whether a branch appointment is needed
  • Whether every co-trustee must sign or appear
  • Whether you must already bank there
  • Whether the account comes with online banking, checks, or a debit card

After the grantor dies: the successor trustee at U.S. Bank

Documents the successor brings

  • Original or certified death certificate
  • Bank account information (past statements or letters)
  • Trust documents showing your authority
  • Valid identification (state driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, military ID, or U.S. alien registration card)

U.S. Bank handles a trust account after a death through its deceased-customer process: an appointment with a local branch, or the Life Events Team at 800-USBANKS / 872-2657.

Not in U.S. Bank's published guidance

  • Whether the death certificate must be a certified copy
  • Whether the trust needs its own EIN after the death
  • Whether the account continues or a new one is opened
  • Whether the successor trustee gets online banking
  • Whether a branch appointment is needed

General information about each bank's published trust-account requirements, not legal or banking advice. Requirements vary by state and account type. Consult the institution for its current requirements. Data verified Sep 21, 2026

U.S. Bank does not say whether a trust account can be opened online; it states that the account is opened in a branch.

U.S. Bank publishes no document list for trust accounts.

U.S. Bank does not state which taxpayer number a revocable trust account is opened under.

A trust account is a deposit account titled in the name of a trust rather than a person — for a revocable living trust, typically "[Trustee name], Trustee of the [Trust name]". While the grantor is alive and serving as trustee, the account is the grantor's to use; the trust title is what keeps the funds out of probate and lets the successor trustee take over without a court appointment.

A trust account holds assets that were titled to a trust before death, and the successor trustee takes control of it under the trust document. An estate account is opened after death by the court-appointed executor or administrator, under the estate's own EIN, for assets that were not in a trust and pass through probate. A family with a funded revocable trust may need only the trust account; a family with a will, or no will, opens an estate account.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·

Sources

Data sourced from U.S. Bank primary sources (8 pages reviewed). How we research.

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate

Free state-specific forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, living trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and every probate form an executor files.

Free

Pour-Over Will

Catch anything outside your trust. Pairs with your revocable trust.

Get Started
$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

Get Started
Free

Affidavit of Death

Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.

Get Started
Free

IRS Form 56

Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.

Get Started
Free

Digital Assets Recovery Letter

Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.

Get Started

All forms

Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate

Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate, by state: will and trust costs, probate, executor and trustee pay, and inheritance taxes.

What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

Find out what fair compensation looks like for serving as trustee.

Calculate the Fee

How Do I Settle a Trust?

Personalized plan for settling a trust after the grantor passes away.

See the Steps

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.

Calculate the Amount

Do I Need Probate?

Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.

Get the Answer

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

Compare revocable living trust costs across providers including online services and attorneys.

Calculate Costs

How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

Compare Options

Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Find out if a revocable trust makes sense based on your state, estate value, and family situation.

Get the Answer

What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?

See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.

Check the Rules

All tools