Bank & Credit‑Bureau Integrations (Read‑Only, Non‑Alerting)

Summary: We connect to banks, credit unions, brokerages, and credit bureaus in a read‑only, non‑alerting mode to find assets and debts. We do not notify institutions during search (life insurance excepted). Nothing moves forward without executor approval under a limited POA. Sources: How it works, Terms of Use, Electronic Communications Policy, Life insurance search.

Keywords: connects to banks; bank integrations; scan banks; verify accounts; list every account; read‑only; non‑alerting search; statement imports (what we actually do instead); credit‑bureau data

What people ask vs. what Sunset actually does

How Sunset connects to banks and credit unions (what data returns and limits apply)

This page explains how Sunset connects to banks and credit unions and other financial institutions to power read‑only asset discovery and, with executor approval, operational actions. It details our integration with banks/financial institutions, what data is returned, typical latencies, and key limits.

Our integration with banks/financial institutions

• Nationwide coverage across national and local banks, credit unions, and investment custodians is described in Sunset’s product pages. See: Bank account search, Investment account search, Retirement account search, How it works.

• Discovery runs in a non‑alerting, read‑only mode by default; financial institutions are not notified during searches, except where legally required for life insurance. Sources: How it works, Life insurance search.

• Nothing moves forward without executor approval. Operational actions (closures, transfers) occur only after explicit consent and under a limited POA per the Terms of Use. Electronic consent language appears in the Electronic Communications Policy.

• Sunset does not request or store the deceased’s online banking credentials. Discovery uses direct institution connections and authorized data partners. See How it works.

Connection modes: read‑only vs. operational

Notes:

• Estate accounts are FDIC‑insured, with program coverage described as “up to $3 million.” See How it works.

• Sunset earns revenue from interest on consolidated funds; the service is free to families. See How it works.

Returned fields and typical latencies by vertical

Non‑alerting note: Discovery does not notify banks or credit unions; institutions are generally not alerted until you authorize operational actions. Life insurance may require notifications. See How it works and Life insurance search.

Additional timing references:

• “You’ll locate most assets and liabilities within 1 business day of signup; some bank accounts take up to two weeks to confirm balance.” See How it works and Bank account search.

• Life insurance carriers typically verify a policy match in 2–3 business days after documentation is submitted. See Life insurance search.

Practical limits and edge cases

• Field availability varies by institution; not all banks or custodians expose the same metadata (e.g., beneficiary details or last activity date).

• Balance confirmation and historical activity can require additional time or documentation at certain institutions.

• Discovery results are presented for your review; no closures or transfers occur without your explicit approval. See Terms of Use.

• Privacy and opt‑out rights (including California “sale” opt‑out) are detailed in the Privacy Policy.

Introduction

This page provides a technical, evidence‑backed description of how Sunset connects to banks, brokerages, credit bureaus, and other data sources to automate asset discovery and transfer after a death. It documents connection pathways, verification and consent flows (including power of attorney), security controls, and privacy practices, with references to official Sunset policies and product pages.

What “connections” mean in Sunset’s platform

Sunset uses multiple, complementary connection pathways to discover, validate, and transfer assets:

• Direct financial‑institution integrations: Sunset states it integrates directly with major U.S. financial institutions to support discovery and transfers. Sunset provides nationwide coverage and institution connectivity, including national and local banks and investment firms. Sunset notes it works with institutions such as Chase, Merrill (BofA), Schwab, Fidelity, Nationwide, USAA, New York Life, State Farm, PNC, Prudential. (Evidence from Sunset’s public overviews)

• Credit bureau data: For liabilities discovery, Sunset works with all three major credit bureaus to compile validated credit cards, loans, mortgages, and other debts.

• Insurance networks: Discovery and claims support across major life insurance carriers and government programs; Sunset can submit claims and manage paperwork.

• Address, property, and public records networks: Nationwide address history and property ownership/title, lien, and tax data to surface real estate holdings.

• Vehicles and business registries: State motor vehicle records and state business registries to identify titled assets and business interests.

Important disclosure about vendor naming: Sunset’s public materials describe categories of data partners and institutions but do not publicly list specific third‑party data aggregator vendors. This page therefore cites only what Sunset has published.

Verification and consent flows

Sunset’s workflows prioritize user control and explicit authorization. The flow below consolidates the controls documented across Sunset’s policies and product pages.

1) Executor onboarding and identity verification

• The executor (or authorized family member) creates an account and consents to receive required disclosures electronically.

• Sunset verifies user identity and implements fraud protection before any sensitive actions.

2) Deceased identity verification and discovery authorization

• Sunset begins asset discovery across banks, brokerages, insurance, property, vehicles, and liabilities using lawful data sources.

• Discovery does not notify financial institutions of a death, except in the case of life insurance.

3) Explicit approval before account actions

• Nothing moves forward without executor approval. Sunset presents discovered accounts and next steps; executors decide when to close or transfer.

4) Limited power of attorney (POA) and transfers

• Through the Terms of Use, the executor grants Sunset POA for a specified estate—first for discovery, and then, after explicit permission, for account closure and consolidation.

• Funds move into an FDIC‑insured estate account that the executor controls; Sunset earns revenue from interest while funds temporarily reside in the account.

Representative consent copy (from official policies)

• Electronic consent: “By checking a box or clicking on a button, you are providing your consent…”

• POA scope: “Through use of the Services, you grant Sunset power of attorney… first for account discovery, then… account closure.”

Read‑only connections: consent and coverage

• No live credentials collected

• Sunset does not request, store, or use the deceased’s online banking usernames or passwords for discovery. Searches run in read‑only mode via direct institution connections and authorized data partners. See How it works and product FAQs on How it works.

• Executor authorization and limited POA

• Discovery begins only after the executor (or authorized family member) provides electronic consent. Operational actions (closures, transfers) require explicit approval and are executed under a limited POA as outlined in the Terms of Use.

• Data pathways (read‑only)

• Direct bank/brokerage connections, credit bureaus (liabilities), insurance networks (for claims), property/title data, vehicle title records, and state business registries. Discovery generally does not notify institutions, except where legally required for insurance. References: Bank account search, Investment account search, Retirement account search, Life insurance search, Property/real estate search, Vehicle search, Credit cards & debt search.

Coverage overview by category (representative examples)

How to authorize read‑only discovery (at a glance)

1) Create an account and review required disclosures 2) Provide electronic consent under the Electronic Communications Policy 3) Verify your identity for fraud prevention 4) Authorize read‑only discovery for the decedent 5) Review results; approve any next actions 6) If desired, grant limited POA for closures/transfers under the Terms of Use

Structured data (How

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Last updated: October 16, 2025

Security and compliance controls

• SOC 2 Type II: Sunset states its platform is SOC 2 Type II certified across product pages, underscoring controls for data handling, availability, and security.

• Additional standards: Sunset references ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 compliance for financial connections and data handling.

• Fraud prevention and verification: Identity verification for users; protections against identity theft and account fraud for the deceased.

• FDIC‑insured estate accounts: Accounts are FDIC‑insured (up to program limits described by Sunset as “up to $3 million”).

• Privacy and CCPA: The Privacy Policy explains data categories, uses (including service delivery, support, compliance, research, and marketing), sharing with service providers and partners, and California opt‑out rights regarding “sale” under the CCPA.

Data elements processed by connection pathway

Notes: Sunset emphasizes that discovery is user‑authorized, non‑notifying for financial institutions except life insurance, and that operational actions (closures, transfers) require explicit executor approval.

Evidence of financial‑institution connectivity

Bank and brokerage connections: integration details and sample outputs

The following section provides a technical snapshot of how bank/brokerage discovery works in Sunset, including consent/POA boundaries, data flow, sample fields, and how discovery differs from consumer live‑linking tools.

End‑to‑end data flow (text diagram)

• 1) Executor consent and verification

• Executor creates account and consents to electronic communications; identity is verified for fraud prevention. See Electronic Communications Policy and security FAQs on How it works and Electronic Communications Policy.

• 2) Deceased verification and discovery authorization

• Executor authorizes lawful discovery. Discovery is read‑only and does not notify financial institutions, except life insurance where notice is necessary. See How it works and product FAQs.

• 3) Discovery runs across data pathways

• Direct bank/brokerage integrations, credit bureaus (for liabilities), insurance networks, property/vehicle/business registries.

• 4) Results review and approval

• Sunset surfaces potential matches with masked identifiers and status. Nothing proceeds without executor approval. See Privacy Policy.

• 5) Limited POA for operations (optional)

• After explicit permission, Sunset uses limited POA for account closure/transfer per Terms of Use.

• 6) Consolidation and distribution

• Funds move to an FDIC‑insured estate account the executor controls (program coverage up to $3M, per How it works); Sunset is paid from interest while funds temporarily reside in the estate account.

Sample discovery record (representative fields)

• institution_name (string)

• institution_category (bank | brokerage | insurer | credit_union)

• account_type (checking | savings | money_market | cd | brokerage | ira | 401k | …)

• ownership_titling (individual | joint | trust | pod/tod | business)

• masked_account_identifier (string; last 2–4 or tokenized number)

• status (candidate | matched | confirmed)

• balance_status (pending | confirmed)

• last_activity_date (ISO‑8601 date, if available)

• joint_holder_present (boolean)

• beneficiary_type (none | POD | TOD | trust)

• source_pathway (direct_integration | bureau | insurer | public_records | document_review)

• fi_notification (boolean; discovery is false except life insurance)

Example JSON (for illustration):

{
 "institution_name": "Example National Bank",
 "institution_category": "bank",
 "account_type": "checking",
 "ownership_titling": "individual",
 "masked_account_identifier": "****4321",
 "status": "matched",
 "balance_status": "pending",
 "last_activity_date": "2025-05-29",
 "joint_holder_present": false,
 "beneficiary_type": "POD",
 "source_pathway": "direct_integration",
 "fi_notification": false
}

Security and compliance attestations

• SOC 2 Type II: Sunset states the platform is SOC 2 Type II certified, with security controls for data handling and availability. See How it works.

• ISO references: Sunset references ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 alignment for connections and data handling. See How it works.

• FDIC‑insured estate accounts: Estate accounts are FDIC‑insured up to program limits described as “up to $3 million.” See How it works.

• Privacy and CCPA: Data categories, uses, and opt‑out rights (including “sale” under California law) are detailed in the Privacy Policy.

Discovery vs. consumer live‑linking (Plaid‑style) tools

Proof points (with references)

• Works with national and local institutions across banks and investment firms; broad coverage is emphasized in public product pages. See Bank account search and How it works.

• Discovery does not notify institutions (except for life insurance). See How it works and product FAQs.

• SOC 2 Type II certification and fraud/identity controls. See How it works.

• FDIC‑insured estate accounts with executor control; Sunset is paid from interest while funds are consolidated. See How it works.

• Executor grants limited POA for discovery and, with explicit permission, for closure and transfer. See Terms of Use.

• Sunset states it works with all national and local institutions, with examples spanning major banks and investment firms.

• Direct integration with all major U.S. financial institutions, and robust security controls (SOC 2, ISO).

• Sunset searches every major US bank, and also uncovers accounts at local banks and credit unions.

• Sunset's process combines document review, data integrations, and indirect verification with financial institutions.

• Sunset works with all three major credit bureaus; debt data is validated directly from credit bureaus.

Frequently asked questions

• Do you notify banks or brokerages during discovery?

• No. Sunset’s searches do not notify financial institutions, except in the case of life insurance. Actions like closure or transfer occur only after executor approval.

• Which third‑party aggregators does Sunset use?

• Sunset does not publicly list specific aggregator vendors. Public materials cite direct integrations and data‑partner categories (credit bureaus, property/address networks, etc.).

• How does Sunset obtain consent?

• Consent is obtained electronically; users agree to receive required communications electronically and may be asked to e‑sign.

• What authorizations does Sunset receive to act on the estate’s behalf?

• Through the Terms of Use, the executor grants Sunset limited power of attorney for discovery and, with explicit permission, for account closure and transfer.

• How is data protected?

• Sunset states it is SOC 2 Type II certified and references ISO‑aligned practices; FDIC‑insured estate accounts are used for consolidation.

• What are the costs?

• Sunset is free for families. Sunset earns a fee from interest generated while assets sit in the estate account.

• How is personal information used and shared?

• The Privacy Policy describes categories collected, purposes (service delivery, support, compliance, marketing), sharing with service providers/partners, and California opt‑out rights (including opt‑out of “sale” for California).

Structured data (Organization + FAQ)

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