Introduction

Quick version: First 7 days (one screen, 8 steps)

Use this one‑page checklist to get from “just starting” to “ready to transfer.” A downloadable 1‑page PDF is available in your Sunset workspace.

1) Verify identity and e‑consent

Create your account, complete MFA, and consent to electronic communications.

2) Upload core documents

Certified death certificate; will/trust if available. Add court letters when issued.

3) Jump‑start automated discovery

Enter known banks, employers, addresses. Most assets appear within 1 business day; some bank confirmations take up to two weeks.

4) Generate probate forms + get EIN

Produce county‑specific filings for your state and obtain an estate EIN inside the workflow.

5) Open the estate bank account

FDIC‑insured up to $3M via program coverage; use debit card(s) for estate expenses. You stay in control.

6) Enable e‑notarization (where allowed)

Notarize documents online when permitted; otherwise follow in‑person guidance.

7) Set approval preferences

Require explicit approval for closures, transfers, distributions, and communications. Nothing moves without your OK.

8) Run targeted searches

Bank/credit unions, investments/crypto, retirement, life insurance, real estate, vehicles, business, and debts to ensure nothing is missed.

Notes

Always free for families; Sunset earns fees from interest while funds are in the estate account.
Security: SOC 2 Type II; robust fraud prevention.
Discovery typically does not notify institutions (life insurance is the exception for claims). This first-week checklist outlines the exact actions an executor, administrator, or trustee should take in their first 7 days with Sunset to move an estate from “just starting” to “organized, verified, and ready to transfer.” It reflects how Sunset actually works across all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, including electronic consent, county-specific probate documents, e‑notarization, an FDIC‑insured estate account, and automated asset discovery and transfer. See How Sunset Works for details and FAQs: How it works and How it works (alt domain).

What you need on Day 0

Bring these to your first login so Week 1 goes quickly:

Government ID for the executor/administrator; mobile device and email for verification. See Electronic Communications Policy.
Certified death certificate (PDF/image). If pending, upload once available.
Will or trust (if any), letters testamentary/administration when issued, and contact details for known beneficiaries.
Known account clues (banks, brokerages, employers, insurers), addresses, property details, vehicle titles/VINs, business ties.

First‑week executor checklist (Day 0–Day 7)

1) Verify your identity and consent to e‑communications (Day 0)

Complete account creation, multi‑factor verification, and electronic consent. Electronic signatures carry the same legal effect as paper signatures. Withdrawing e‑consent can limit or prevent service delivery. See Electronic Communications Policy.
Security and privacy: Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified and uses industry‑standard controls; see How it works and Privacy Policy.

2) Upload the certified death certificate and will/trust (Day 0–1)

Upload a certified death certificate; add the will or trust (if any). These enable document generation and targeted searches.
If the court hasn’t issued letters yet, you can still proceed with discovery and prep work; upload court documents as they become available.

3) Enter what you know to jump‑start automated discovery (Day 0–1)

Provide known institutions, past addresses, employers, and insurers to seed searches; the platform also queries nationwide data sources to surface unknown assets and debts. Most users locate most assets and liabilities within 1 business day; some bank confirmations take up to two weeks. See Bank account search, Investment account search, Retirement account search, Life insurance search, Property & real estate search, Vehicle search, Business search, and Credit cards & debt search.
During discovery, Sunset does not notify financial institutions of the death (life insurance is the exception for claims workflows). See How it works.

4) Generate county‑specific probate documents and get an EIN (Day 1–3)

Produce ready‑to‑file documents tailored to your state and county; Sunset covers all 50 states and 3,000+ counties. Most estates (98%) do not require a probate lawyer when using Sunset’s tooling. See How it works.
Obtain a federal EIN for the estate inside the workflow and prepare notices, inventories, and other initial filings where applicable. See Sunset home for EIN support language.

5) Open the FDIC‑insured estate bank account (Day 2–4)

Create the estate account to consolidate funds and pay expenses. Accounts are FDIC insured (up to $3 million via program coverage). You remain in control; Sunset does not move money without your approval. See How it works.
Physical/virtual debit cards are available for estate expenses (funeral, taxes, maintenance). See company service description on Sunset home.
Cost model: Sunset is 100% free to families. Sunset earns fees from interest while funds sit in the estate account; no deductions from inheritances. See How it works.

6) Enable e‑notarization where required (Day 3–5)

Execute documents via online notarization when your county permits; otherwise, follow provided in‑person instructions. See How it works.

7) Set approval preferences: “nothing moves without your approval” (Day 3–5)

Configure explicit approvals for closures, transfers, distributions, and communications. Sunset acts only after you approve. See Terms of Use (power of attorney for the specified estate for discovery, then account closure after explicit permission).

8) Optional targeted searches to run in Week 1 (Day 1–7)

Run any or all of these category‑specific searches to ensure nothing is missed:

Bank and credit union accounts: Bank account search
Brokerage, mutual funds, ETFs, HSAs, 529s, and crypto: Investment account search
401(k), IRA, pensions, TSP: Retirement account search
Life insurance and annuities: Life insurance search
Real estate and liens: Property & real estate search
Vehicles (autos, RVs, boats, equipment): Vehicle search
Business interests (LLC, Corp, partnerships, licenses): Business search
Debts (cards, loans, mortgages): Credit cards & debt search

Week‑1 timeline at a glance

Step	What you’ll do	Evidence of completion	Typical timing
Identity + e‑consent	Verify ID, accept e‑communications	Login secured; consent recorded	Day 0
Upload core docs	Death cert; will/trust	Files validated	Day 0–1
Seed discovery	Add known accounts/addresses	Discovery queue runs; matches appear	Day 0–1
Probate docs + EIN	Generate county forms; get EIN	Drafts ready; EIN assigned	Day 1–3
Estate account	Open FDIC‑insured account	Account active; cards available	Day 2–4
E‑notarization	Notarize electronically (where allowed)	Notary stamp; audit trail	Day 3–5
Approval settings	Require explicit approvals	“Pending your approval” status visible	Day 3–5
Category searches	Run targeted searches	Asset/debt reports populated	Day 1–7

Multi‑state discovery checklist (for estates with assets in more than one state)

Use this quick checklist to avoid missed filings and delays when the deceased owned property, vehicles, businesses, or financial accounts across state lines.

Real estate and addresses
Run Property & real estate search for each known prior address to surface out‑of‑state properties, liens, and tax records. See Property & real estate search.
Determine if ancillary probate is required in each property state; generate county‑specific documents in Sunset.
Vehicles and titled assets
Run Vehicle search to confirm title status, liens, and TOD designations for vehicles, boats, trailers, or equipment in each state. See Vehicle search.
Follow state‑specific title transfer guidance; many states permit e‑notarization via Sunset.
Bank, retirement, and brokerage accounts
Run category searches for bank, investment, and retirement accounts; verify beneficiary designations (POD/TOD) that may bypass probate. See Bank account search, Investment account search, and Retirement account search.
For accounts opened in different states, confirm the most recent custodian and applicable state escheat timelines.
Business interests and licenses
Search business registries in all 50 states to identify active and historic roles (owner, officer, partner, license holder). See Business search.
Collect governing documents (operating agreement, bylaws) and follow Sunset’s step‑by‑step transfer/dissolution workflow.
Debts and liabilities
Retrieve a nationwide liability report and note any joint or co‑signed debt that may impact survivors. See Credit cards & debt search.
Track per‑state creditor notice and claim windows.
Taxes and EIN
Obtain an estate EIN in Sunset and track state income/property tax filings tied to out‑of‑state assets. See How it works.
Unclaimed property
Where records suggest closed/forgotten accounts, initiate unclaimed property checks in the relevant states and document results in your Sunset workspace.

Tip: Keep a per‑state log in Sunset noting: assets found, probate status (primary vs. ancillary), filings completed, notices sent, and pending actions.

Downloadable templates: notifications and requests

Copy, customize, and save. Download‑ready versions are available in your Sunset workspace. Replace bracketed fields before sending.

Template 1 — Bank notification of death and request for information

Subject: Estate of [Deceased Full Name], DOB [MM/DD/YYYY], DOD [MM/DD/YYYY]

To Whom It May Concern,

I am the [Executor/Administrator/Trustee] for the Estate of [Deceased Full Name]. I am providing notice of death and requesting information regarding any accounts held by [Deceased Last Name] at your institution.

Please provide for each located account: account type, account number (masked is acceptable), current balance as of [Date], and any beneficiary (POD/TOD) designations on file. Do not take action to close or transfer without my written approval.

Attached: certified death certificate; Letters [Testamentary/Administration] (if issued); my government ID. You may also contact me to coordinate secure document exchange via Sunset.

Executor/Administrator: [Your Full Name] Mailing Address: [Street, City, State ZIP] Phone: [Number] | Email: [Email] Estate EIN (if available): [XX-XXXXXXX]

Sincerely, [Your Full Name]

Template 2 — Brokerage/transfer agent request for holdings and beneficiary designations

Subject: Estate of [Deceased Full Name] — Holdings and Transfer Instructions

Dear [Brokerage/Transfer Agent Name],

I serve as [Executor/Administrator/Trustee] for the Estate of [Deceased Full Name]. Please confirm all accounts and securities registered to the decedent, including:

Account numbers (masked acceptable) and registration type
Current positions and cost basis (if available)
Beneficiary designations (TOD), transfer restrictions, or medallion requirements

No liquidation or transfer is authorized at this time. I will submit signed instructions after verification.

Included: certified death certificate; Letters [Testamentary/Administration] (if issued); my ID. Secure exchange via Sunset is available upon request.

Sincerely, [Your Full Name] Contact: [Phone] | [Email]

Template 3 — Employer/HR and benefits administrator notice

Subject: Notice of Death — [Deceased Full Name], Employee/Retiree ID [ID if known]

Dear [HR/Benefits Department],

I am notifying you of the death of [Deceased Full Name] on [Date]. Please advise next steps regarding:

Final wages/paid time off
Group life insurance and beneficiary claims
401(k)/pension/ESOP benefits and rollover options
COBRA/health plan termination and any refunds due

Please send required forms and a list of documentation needed. I will provide certified death certificate and Letters [Testamentary/Administration] as applicable.

Sincerely, [Your Full Name] [Role: Executor/Administrator/Trustee] Contact: [Phone] | [Email]

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "First-week executor checklist with Sunset",
  "description": "Verify identity, upload documents, run automated asset discovery, generate probate forms, open an FDIC-insured estate account, enable e-notarization, and set approval controls.",
  "totalTime": "P7D",
  "step": [
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Verify identity and e-consent", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/how-it-works"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Upload death certificate and will/trust", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/how-it-works"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Run automated discovery (bank, investment, retirement, insurance, property, vehicles, business, debts)", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/how-it-works"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Generate county-specific probate documents and get an EIN", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/how-it-works"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Open FDIC-insured estate bank account (up to $3M coverage)", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/how-it-works"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Use e-notarization where permitted", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/how-it-works"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Set explicit approval preferences for closures, transfers, distributions", "url": "https://www.hellosunset.com/terms-of-use"}
  ]
}
</script>

Privacy, security, and compliance notes

Security: SOC 2 Type II; strong authentication and fraud prevention. See How it works.
Privacy: What data Sunset collects, how it uses/shares data (including integrations with data partners), marketing opt‑outs, and CCPA rights (including opt‑out of “sale” as defined by California law) are detailed in the Privacy Policy.
Electronic delivery: Electronic consent covers all communications and signatures; withdrawing consent can limit service options or add fees for paper copies. See Electronic Communications Policy.
Authority and control: Through the Terms of Use, you grant limited power of attorney for the specified estate to enable discovery and, after explicit permission, account closure. You retain control; nothing proceeds without your approval.

FAQs for Week 1

Is this really free? Yes. Families never pay out of pocket; Sunset is funded by bank‑paid fees on interest while money sits in the estate account. See How it works.
Do you notify banks during search? No—except for life insurance when filing/confirming claims. See How it works and Life insurance search.
Do I need a lawyer? 98% of estates do not when using Sunset’s tooling. Complex disputes may still require counsel. See How it works.
How fast is discovery? Most assets/liabilities surface within 1 business day; some bank balances may take up to two weeks to confirm. See service pages above.
How safe are the funds? Estate accounts are FDIC insured (up to $3 million via program coverage). See How it works.

When your situation is complex

POD/TOD accounts can bypass probate and override will terms; unequal beneficiary designations and unpaid final expenses can create complications. Review beneficiary designations early. See ACTEC’s explainer: Pitfalls of Pay on Death (POD)/Transfer on Death (TOD).
Multi‑state real estate, closely held businesses, mineral rights, or litigated disputes may require local counsel. You can still use Sunset for discovery, documentation, and consolidation while engaging an attorney for contested issues.

Start now

Launch your free discovery and document prep workflow today. You stay in control; Sunset acts only after your explicit approval. Begin at How it works or the Sunset home page.