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 support@hellosunset.com.
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
Who can use Sunset?
Any family member, executor, 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.
If someone else has been appointed by court or will, to manage the probate process, we’ll need a waiver from them. We can generate that waiver and automatically send for signatures if requested.
Will the financial institutions be notified when Sunset searches for the assets?
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 notified after a request for closure and transfer has been made by you.
Am I responsible for their debts?
No in most cases. If the deceased was solely responsible for the debt and it was not backed by a physical asset, such as a home or vehicle, it can often get charged off entirely.
If it was a joint credit card or loan, 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.
Do I need a lawyer if I use Sunset? What about probate documents?
In most cases, no. 98% of estates don’t require a probate lawyer. You can use our software to generate and sometimes file probate documents in every county nationwide, often avoiding legal fees altogether.
We generate county-specific probate forms, provide quick online notarization, and guide you through any assisted filings if required.
If your case is unusually complex, our team can guide you through the steps and connect you with additional resources if needed.
What is an estate bank account? Who controls it?
It’s a special 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.
After set up, you control the estate bank account. We simply help you set it up and keep your records organized. You can pay bills, taxes, and finally distribute the funds to the 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?
Your estate bank account gives you access to both physical and virtual debit cards you can use to pay expenses related to settling 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.
Anything that helps you settle your loved one’s affairs is an estate expense. 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.
How much does Sunset cost?
Nothing. Sunset never charges families or takes a percentage of the estate.
All of our tools are free to use, 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 fee, based on interest generated from estate bank accounts. That way, all the deceased’s assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs.
How does Sunset protect against fraud or identity theft?
We run authentication on both the deceased and the executor to prevent unauthorized access, account fraud, or new accounts being opened in the decedent’s name.
What security measures does Sunset have?
Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified, meaning 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.
How long does the process take, and can I move at my own pace?
You’ll locate most assets and liabilities within 1 business day of signup, some bank accounts take up to two weeks to confirm balance.
If you request help to close and transfer an account, we’ll start the process immediately. Some financial institutions are very quick to respond and transfer, unfortunately most are not and the process can take a few weeks.
You stay in control the whole time and nothing ever moves forward without your approval.
