Accouncement
Sunset now closes accounts and transfers funds for you. Find it, close it, get the money — all in one place. Free for families.
July 15, 2025
Since launching, Sunset has helped families find the financial accounts of a loved one — bank accounts, retirement funds, insurance policies, and more. But finding accounts was only half the problem. The other half was closing them and getting the money where it belongs.
Today, we're launching the beta of Sunset Closure — and it completes the picture. Families can now go from discovering an account to requesting its closure and receiving the funds, all within Sunset.
How It Works
Once Sunset identifies a financial account — whether it's a checking account, 401(k), IRA, brokerage account, or anything else — the executor or administrator of the estate can select that account and request closure directly through our platform. Sunset walks you through the steps, handles the paperwork, and submits the request to the financial institution on your behalf.
For life insurance policies, the process works the same way: Sunset finds the policy, and you can file a claim right from the platform.
Once the institution approves the closure or claim, funds are wired or mailed via check to a secure estate bank account that Sunset sets up for you — so there's a safe place for the money from day one.
Protected Up to $3 Million
Every Sunset estate account is FDIC-insured through our banking partner, with stacked coverage that protects up to $3 million in deposits. Estate settlements can involve significant sums arriving from multiple institutions at once, and families shouldn't have to worry about whether that money is safe while it's being collected and distributed. With Sunset, it is.
The Full Picture
This is the milestone we've been building toward. Sunset now handles the entire estate settlement workflow: discover the accounts, close them, and collect the funds — all in one place. No more calling banks, mailing notarized forms, or tracking down wiring instructions on your own.
Free for Families
Like everything on Sunset, Closure is completely free. No fees, no percentage of recovered assets. We earn interest on deposits while they're held in the estate account during distribution — that's it.
Get Started
If you're managing the estate of a loved one, visit hellosunset.com to start a search and close accounts today.
Questions? Reach us at [email protected].
HOW WE MAKE MONEY
We’re paid by banks, not families
Just like any bank, we make money from interest yielded while money sits in the estate bank account.
No out-of-pocket costs or fees
You never pay for anything out of pocket. Ever.
We make money on interest
No hidden costs. No surprise fees. No fine print.
You keep all your money
We never take a cut of your inheritance.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I see results?
Most results come fast. Here's the general timeline after your account is validated:
- Within hours: Creditors and debts, some bank accounts, property records (all 50 states), vehicle titles, and unclaimed property
- 1–2 business days: Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, pension), investment accounts (brokerage, stocks, crypto), life insurance, and business ownership. Note: these searches don't run on weekends or bank holidays.
- 7–14 days: Comprehensive bank account search with confirmed balances across all account types
Most families have 100% of assets discovered within 5–6 days.
Who can use Sunset?
Any family member, executor, administrator or personal representative responsible for managing a deceased person’s assets can use our software tool. We support asset search and probate in all 50 states and every county in the U.S.
Am I responsible for their debts?
No, the deceased was solely responsible for their debts. If a loan was backed by a physical asset, such as a home or vehicle, you have options to transfer or payoff from estate proceeds.
For a loan that was jointly held, the responsibility remains with the other person on the account, often a spouse. Sunset automatically identifies if a debt has a living responsible party, and clearly flags it.
What is an estate bank account? Who controls it?
A estate bank account is a standard bank account in the estate’s name where all funds are consolidated. You can use it to pay expenses, view a full transaction history, and eventually distribute inheritance to beneficiaries.
With one click Sunset can set up an estate back account.
You control the estate bank account. You can pay bills, taxes, and distribute the funds to heirs.
All estate bank accounts set up by Sunset are FDIC insured and protected from fraud and identity theft.
How can I pay estate expenses?
With your estate bank account you can use to pay expenses to settle your loved ones affairs. You can also reimburse yourself for expenses you may have paid out of pocket before the bank account was set up.
This includes paying for funeral expenses, accountants and attorneys if needed (most families do not need these services when working with us), realtor fees when selling property, money going towards settling debts, money spent fixing up a property before selling it, etc.
What security measures does Sunset have?
Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in how we build our software and store data so that you’re always protected. We have in-depth fraud and identity verification measures on the deceased and the beneficiaries, and we run background checks on all employees.
What about probate documents?
You can use our software to generate and sometimes file probate documents in every county nationwide.
Online notarization is also available through Sunset.
If your case is unusually complex, or disputed, we recommend hiring experienced probate counsel.
Can Sunset help my probate attorney?
Yes. Attorneys regularly recommend Sunset to their clients. Before your attorney can guide you on the right probate path, they need a complete picture of the estate's assets and debts. Sunset generates a comprehensive Estate Asset Inventory with account numbers, balances, and more, giving your attorney exactly what they need to move forward quickly.
Will financial institution be notified of a Sunset search?
No, we do not notify any financial institutions of the death when performing our searches, except for in the case of life insurance.
Our process combines document review, data integrations, and indirect verification with financial institutions. Families usually discover most accounts within 1 day, although some bank account confirmations take up to two weeks.
Financial institutions are only notified after a request for closure and transfer has been made by you.
How much does Sunset cost?
Sunset is free to use. Sunset never charges families or takes a percentage of the estate.
All of our tools are free, including search and discovery, probate document generation, asset transfer, and more. No upfront fees, subscriptions, and deductions from the inheritance.
Our bank partners pay us a referral fee, based on interest generated from estate bank accounts. That way, all the deceased’s assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
