The first call to a bank goes one of two ways. Either you have what they ask for, or you make the trip twice.
Institutions ask for the same handful of things. Find them once, in one search of the house, and record where each one is. The alternative is discovering on your fourth call that you needed the marriage certificate, and starting the hunt with a teller waiting on the line.
What the bank will ask for
For a bank, credit union, or brokerage, expect to need:
- A certified death certificate — they will usually keep it, which is why you order 10 to 15
- Your Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration — the court document proving you have authority to act. Bring a certified copy; many banks will not accept a photocopy
- Your own government photo ID
- The account numbers, if you have them
- The estate’s EIN, if you are opening an estate account — this is the estate’s own tax ID from the IRS, never the deceased’s Social Security number
Item 2 is the one that stops people. Until the court appoints you, you generally have no authority over the accounts, and no amount of being the next of kin substitutes for it. If the bank has told you to come back with Letters, they are not being obstructive — they are protecting themselves and, in a real sense, you.
The wider document search
While you are searching, find everything at once. An estate typically needs around three dozen documents, and the second search is always harder than the first because by then the house may be half packed.
Identity and status
- Death certificate (certified copies)
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate, and divorce decree if any
- Social Security card
- Military discharge papers (DD-214) — these unlock veterans’ burial and survivor benefits people routinely miss
Authority and intent
- The will, and any codicils
- Any trust documents
- Letters Testamentary, once issued
- Power of attorney documents — note that these end at death and give you no authority now
- Any prepaid funeral contract
Assets
- Bank and credit union statements
- Brokerage and investment statements
- Retirement account statements — 401(k), IRA, pension
- Life insurance policies
- Annuity contracts
- Deeds to real property
- Vehicle titles
- Business ownership or partnership agreements
- Safe deposit box location, key, and the bank’s name
Obligations
- Mortgage statements and any home equity line
- Credit card statements
- Loan agreements
- Recent medical bills
- Outstanding tax notices
- Utility and recurring service accounts
Tax
- Federal and state tax returns for the last three years
- Property tax statements
- Any correspondence from the IRS or a state revenue office
Where these actually hide
- A home safe or lockbox — the will, deeds, titles, policies
- A filing cabinet or desk drawer — statements, tax returns, bills
- A safe deposit box — often the will and deeds. Access before appointment varies by state, and some states seal the box on death. Ask the bank what their procedure is
- With the attorney — many keep the original will
- Email and cloud storage — increasingly where the statements live. Paperless billing means the filing cabinet is empty and the evidence is in an inbox you may not be able to open
- The mailbox, over the following weeks — this is why forwarding the mail matters. Accounts nobody knew about announce themselves in the mail
When something is missing
Missing is not lost. Most of these can be replaced:
- Deeds — the county recorder’s office has a copy
- Vehicle titles — the DMV can issue a duplicate to the estate
- Tax returns — the IRS provides transcripts; the CPA may have copies
- Insurance policies — the insurer can confirm coverage from a name and date of birth
- DD-214 — the National Archives handles requests
- Account statements — the institution will produce them once you show Letters
What matters is that you know it is missing. An undocumented gap is the thing that surfaces at the worst moment. Mark it as missing, note who you asked and when, and keep going.
Record where each one is
Not “in the study.” “Blue binder, second shelf, study.” And when a document leaves your hands — to the attorney, to the court, to a bank — write down who took it and on what date.
Chain of custody sounds like an overreaction until a document goes missing and the question is who had it last. Then it is the only thing that helps.
This article is organizational guidance, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Requirements vary by state and by institution. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
The Executor’s Kit ships with a Document Locator pre-filled with 36 documents most estates need — status, exact location, original or copy, who has it now, and the date it left your hands. $30, one payment.