When you open a bank account for the estate, the account name must indicate that it is an estate account and not your personal account. I need to open an estate bank account.I have the EIN but now the bank wants an Appointment of Personal Representative document. Two common ways to avoid probate on your bank accounts are holding the account jointly or designating a beneficiary for the account. Banks require estates to have an EIN in order to open a bank account in the estate's name. Please return the completed applications directly to them. All applications must include proof of the applicant's income and most recent bank statement, if any. Estate planning does not simply encompass wills and trusts and is a complicated area of law to learn. JS Abrams Law is a Riverside Estate Planning Law Firm ready to help those in need of estate planning preparation. Work with our estate planners today.