Pay with cash, check, credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover). How do I open an estate account?Just make an appointment at your local financial center and an associate will be happy to assist you. You may be able to obtain a secured credit card as suggested below, if you are concerned about protection of your estate checking account from identity theft. An estate account enables you to deposit income and pay any necessary expenses that may be incurred during the administration of the estate. Use this account to. Please note: For all account types, we require a death certificate. Simply put: The credit card debt becomes part of the estate as do all other debts and assets. Probate is the legal process of settling your estate in court after you die. It's useful to have an estate account in the form of a checking account, but your estate's needs may call for adding a savings or money market account, too.