Find and secure bank accounts after a death
Search every US bank and credit union, including accounts you didn't know existed, with Sunset.
A simple & secure inheritance process
Let us find accounts for you
Sunset searchs every major US bank, including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and more. We also uncover accounts at local banks and credit unions.
While using Sunset for estate settlement, many bank search results are instant. Further results can take a week or more to get accurate balance and account info.
We’ll get you bank account numbers, balance, and account status for every type of bank account without notifying the bank of the death.
Close and transfer if you want
When you are ready, use Sunset to contact the banks, email or fax them the required documents, and use our software to help you transfer the funds into an FDIC-insured estate bank account to pay bills and taxes, and ultimately distribute to heirs.
$1
billion in unclaimed bank accounts
96%
of estates have unclaimed assets
2,500+
banks and credit unions we search
Sunset finds every bank account
Checking Accounts
Banks often restrict or freeze a checking account after notification of a death, which can cause checks to bounce and autopay expenses like utilities to go unpaid. Sunset can transfer checking account balances from the bank into an account controlled by you.
Savings Accounts
Like checking accounts, banks typically freeze savings accounts once they receive notice of a death. Sunset can work with the bank to release the funds and transfer them into the estate bank account managed by the user.
Banks often restrict or freeze accounts after a death.
Money Market Accounts
Money market accounts often include check-writing privileges, which are canceled immediately after a death. Sunset identifies and verifies these accounts, then can coordinate with the bank to transfer balances into the estate bank account if you request.
Certificate of Deposit (CD)
Banks can penalize account holders for early withdrawal of a CD without the proper paperwork verifying the death and probate. Sunset can retrieve the CD balance and transfer it into the estate bank account, ensuring beneficiaries receive the funds without penalty and without needing to wait for the CD term to end.
“Sunset found all my dad’s bank accounts fast. They helped close them and move the money so we didn’t have to deal with the bank.”
Business Accounts
Business accounts typically remain active and undisturbed if the business is ongoing, however banks may sometimes restrict or shutter an account if they believe the death of the business owner creates risk. Bylaws, Articles, Operating Agreements and other corporate documentation will dictate how ownership is handled after a death.
Foreign Currency Accounts
These accounts are handled like standard bank accounts, with balances converted and distributed to the estate or beneficiaries. Exchange rate considerations and international banking rules may affect timing of transfers.
Safe Deposit Box
Banks often restrict access to a safe deposit box after a death. Sunset helps identify safe deposit boxes linked to the deceased, verify rental records with the bank, and assist with the legal steps to gain access.
Surprising Finds
"I found all of my grandma’s accounts in just a couple days, including one we didn’t even know about. I cried when I realized how much work it was going to take, but Sunset made it quick and easy."
Easy Process
"Step by step made it easy to get things done without feeling buried."
Stress Free
"Simple and stress free from start to finish. Even the life insurance claim."
Step by Step
"I did things when I had time. First the bank account, then the car title a few weeks later. It felt manageable."
Guided the Whole Way
"They made a hard process simple and stress free. It felt like they were walking me through step by step."
Peace of Mind
"Nothing happened unless I said so. Knowing my dad’s retirement money was safe until I was ready gave me peace of mind."
Clear Next Steps
"Clear steps, no stress. I always knew what came next, even for life insurance and car titles."
Felt Cared For
"I felt cared for the whole way. Even when we had to handle my dad’s small business account."
Felt Protected
"I felt safe the whole time. They kept an eye on things for fraud so I could focus on selling the house and being with my kids."
Less Scary
"They made the hard parts less scary. I just answered a few questions and felt guided."
Made It Doable
"Made something complicated, like probate papers, feel doable and not so scary."
Revocable Trust Accounts
Revocable trusts (also called living trusts) remain under the control of the deceased during their lifetime. After death, the trust automatically becomes irrevocable, and banks will require successor trustee documentation before allowing access to accounts, otherwise they may be frozen. Sunset can automate the bank verification process and transfer funds according to the trust’s terms.
Irrevocable Trust Accounts
Irrevocable trusts cannot be altered once created, and funds are already outside the deceased’s estate. After death, banks typically require proof of trustee authority to continue managing or distributing assets. Sunset automatically verifies accounts, confirms trustee authority, and ensures assets are managed or transferred per trust documents, providing families clarity and confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sunset?
Sunset is an estate settlement platform that helps families discover and close the financial accounts, assets, and debts of a person who has died.
Sunset is designed for family members, executors, and personal representatives who are settling an estate themselves. It includes the full Sunset closure suite: financial account discovery, bank notifications, assisted phone calls and emails, estate bank account setup, probate document generation, and asset transfers, for $120 per estate.
Sunset Pro is designed for probate attorneys, licensed fiduciaries, trustees, and aftercare specialists who settle estates on behalf of their clients. Sunset Pro starts at $500 per asset search, with monthly subscription plans available for solo practitioners, small firms, and large firms.
Both Sunset and Sunset Pro are available in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Who can use Sunset?
Sunset can be used by family members, executors, administrators, and personal representatives responsible for settling a deceased person's estate.
Sunset supports asset discovery and probate across all 50 states and every U.S. county, helping you manage the estate regardless of where the deceased lived or where the estate is being settled.
How does Sunset help settle an estate?
Sunset handles the most time-consuming parts of estate settlement.
We search 2,500+ financial institutions like banks and retirement funds, the credit bureaus, and state unclaimed-property databases to find accounts and assets the family may not know about. We prepare probate documents specific to your county in all 50 states and help establish an estate bank account where recovered funds can be deposited.
Then Sunset helps close the deceased person’s accounts and move the funds into the estate account, ready for distribution to the heirs.
With Sunset, about 90% of account closures can be completed without you having to call or visit a branch.
What does it mean to settle an estate?
Settling an estate means closing out someone’s financial life after they die.
It involves identifying what they owned and owed, obtaining the legal authority to act on their behalf, paying valid debts and final taxes, and transferring what remains to the people who inherit it.
Depending on the state and the size of the estate, it can be complicated or simple. Either way, Sunset can help.
What is required to settle an estate?
Most estates require a core set of documents and accounts, including a certified death certificate, legal authority to act for the estate, a federal EIN, an estate bank account, and an inventory of the estate’s assets and debts.
Sunset can help with all of these except the death certificate.
Depending on the circumstances, legal authority may come in the form of letters testamentary, letters of administration, or a small-estate affidavit.
Once that authority is established, the estate can begin notifying financial institutions, paying valid debts and final taxes, and distributing the remaining assets to the heirs or beneficiaries.
Sunset prepares the paperwork required for these steps and submits what we can on your behalf.
