There could be several reasons you wish to close your Regions bank account. Perhaps you are planning to move and there are no Regions in your new city. Maybe you are unhappy with the customer service at your Regions bank or feel that the fees are too high. Regardless, we would like to help you with the process of closing a bank account.
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Here are the instructions on closing your Regions bank account or the account of a deceased family member. Please note that these instructions are rather general and would work for most banks.
Tip: The other aspects of handling a loved one's unfinished business can be overwhelming without a way to organize your process. We have a post-loss checklist that will help you ensure that your loved one's family, estate, and other affairs are taken care of.
How to Close Your Own Regions Bank Account
Here’s some advice on how to close a bank account.
Step 1: Plan ahead.
If you know that you want to close your bank account, make preparations a month ahead of time. This will give you time to open a new account.
Once a new account is open, contact all the companies with automatic payments scheduled and give them your new debit card number. This way, you won’t have any disruption of any of your services. You won’t have to scramble to enter your new debit card so you can watch the next episode of The Crown, and you won’t be turned away when going to your gym.
You might also need to give your employer and any other depositor to your bank account your new routing number. You wouldn’t want to have a disruption in receiving your regular paycheck.
Stop writing checks out of the account that you plan to close. Look through your bank statement and make sure that the checks you have written on the account have cleared. You may need to call your niece and nudge her to take her birthday check to the bank and contact your son’s Boy Scout troop and ask them to deposit the check you wrote for popcorn.
Taking care of those details ahead of time will make the transition much more manageable.
Step 2: Contact Regions customer service.
To close your account, you need to contact Regions customer service. Here are their contact options:
Call
Call Regions Bank Customer service center at 1-800-734-4667. You can also call the number on the back of your debit card.
Sending private financial information through your regular email account is never a good idea, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t use this form of communication to close your account.
Visit this webpage, and log into your Regions account. Once you have logged in, select “send a secure email.” This will enable you to send your account information in a more secure setting, even though it is important to realize that no form of electronic communication is completely secure.
Social media
Regions has a customer service presence on both Facebook and Twitter. Consider your data’s security before sending your account information through these platforms, but they are available if this is your preferred form of communication.
Visit a local branch
Of course, one of the most secure forms of communication is talking with a customer service representative face to face. Find the Regions Bank branch closest to you by typing your zip code into this page on their website.
Step 3: Confirm that your account is closed.
No matter what form of communication you use to close your account, ask for written communication that the process has been completed.
How to Close a Deceased Loved One’s Regions Bank Account
While we would like to give you a step-by-step guide on how to close your deceased loved one’s bank account, it is not that simple. Many factors determine this procedure. These include how the account was first set up, whether the next of kin is on the account, and the state in which your loved one lived.
We know it may frustrate you not to be given specific instructions on what you need to close your loved one account, but you may have encountered this from other institutions if you are the next of kin or the executor of the estate.
Here are some general guidelines on how to close your deceased loved one’s bank account. Again, these steps will vary depending on the situation.
Step 1: Gather information about your loved one’s bank account.
Look through your loved one’s wallet and file cabinet to find information about their bank accounts. If you have access to your deceased loved one’s phone, you may also take a peek at what financial institution apps are installed.
Find the most recent bank statements, and scan through them to see if there is just one account or several. You may also want to look through the bank statements for the last year to see if there are any charges related to a bank deposit box.
Step 2: Collect essential documents.
Once you have gathered as much information as you can regarding your loved one’s bank account, gather other important documents.
You may need:
- Your loved one’s death certificate
- Will or trust documents
- Documents that prove you are the trustee of the estate
- Letter of testamentary
- Your ID
Step 3: Contact the bank.
Even though you may be able to complete this process of closing your loved one’s account over the phone, through the mail, or by email, we suggest that you visit a local Regions branch. Of course, if you don’t live near a Regions branch, you’ll have no other option than to access their customer service department in some other way.
You may be tempted to access your loved one’s account through the app on their phone if they used a password manager or if you find a list of logins and passwords.
Unless you were previously authorized to use the account before your loved one died, you do not have the authority to use it now. Do not assume your loved one’s identity to complete any of these end-of-life tasks, such as closing the account.
Don’t Become Overwhelmed
There’s a lot to do when you lose a loved one. Some of these tasks are obvious, such as closing accounts, cleaning out the residence, and distributing assets. Other items you may not have thought of, such as taking care of your loved one’s digital afterlife or deleting their online presence.
Join Cake today and get access to our resources and guides so you can start preparing for the end. It’s one final gift you can give to those you leave behind. And it’s a gift you know will be appreciated.