Bank, Credit Card and Investment Notification Checklist — Canadian Executor's Guide

Last updated July 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Quick answer
After a Canadian death, every financial institution where the deceased had an account must be notified. Start with the primary bank, then secondary banks, credit card issuers, investment brokerages, insurance companies. Each institution has its own forms and timelines, but the underlying flow is consistent — death certificate, executor identification, will, then either small-balance release or wait for probate. Bank notifications typically begin in week 1; brokerage notifications follow once probate is granted (week 5-8); insurance claims can begin in week 1 and process over 30-90 days.

The notification process for a deceased Canadian's financial institutions is repetitive but mechanical — call, identify yourself, submit documents, follow up. The challenge is making sure you've identified every institution and that you're following the right sequence. This checklist organizes the work.

When to use this checklist

For Canadian executors in the first 30 days after a death. Use alongside the broader Executor's First 30 Days checklist.

The checklist

Pre-work — identify all institutions

  • Pull 12 months of bank statements from all accounts
  • Pull 12 months of credit card statements
  • Review the deceased's last tax return (T-slips identify issuers)
  • Check the Life Discovery Kit if one exists
  • Check incoming mail at the deceased's address
  • Notify Equifax Canada (request credit report)
  • Notify TransUnion Canada (request credit report)
  • Build a master list with institution, account type, approximate balance, contact info

Big 5 banks (if applicable)

For each: call the bank's estate or settlement team, identify yourself, schedule the in-person documentation submission.

  • RBC — Royal Bank of Canada
  • TD — TD Bank Group
  • BMO — Bank of Montreal
  • Scotiabank — Bank of Nova Scotia
  • CIBC — Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Other major Canadian banks

  • National Bank of Canada
  • Tangerine
  • EQ Bank
  • Manulife Bank
  • Simplii Financial
  • Canadian Tire Bank

Credit unions and trust companies

  • Vancity (BC)
  • Servus Credit Union (Alberta)
  • Meridian Credit Union (Ontario)
  • Steinbach Credit Union (Manitoba)
  • Other regional credit unions
  • Any trust companies (Solus, Computershare, etc.)

Credit card issuers

For each card the deceased had:

  • Visa-branded cards (issued by various banks)
  • Mastercard-branded cards (issued by various banks)
  • American Express Canada
  • Store-branded cards (Canadian Tire, Hudson's Bay, etc.)
  • Capital One Canada (if applicable)
  • Cancel authorized user cards (cut up physical cards)
  • Dispute any post-death charges
  • Cancel rewards redemption (or transfer if eligible)

Brokerage and investment accounts

For each brokerage relationship:

  • RBC Direct Investing
  • TD Direct Investing
  • BMO InvestorLine
  • Scotia iTrade
  • CIBC Investor's Edge
  • National Bank Direct Brokerage
  • Questrade
  • Wealthsimple
  • Any full-service brokerage (IG Wealth Management, Edward Jones, etc.)
  • Mutual fund-only accounts (PH&N, Mawer, Fidelity, etc.)
  • Any private wealth management relationship

Insurance providers

  • Life insurance (individual policies)
  • Group life insurance through employer
  • Mortgage life insurance (through mortgage lender)
  • Credit card balance protection
  • Travel insurance (if death occurred during travel)
  • AD&D coverage through employer or association
  • Auto insurance (death benefit if accident-related)
  • OLHI lost-policy search if you believe a policy exists but can't locate it (olhi.ca)

Pension administrators

  • Employer pension (current or previous)
  • CPP / QPP (notify Service Canada — covered separately)
  • Locked-in retirement accounts (LIRAs)
  • Annuities

Documentation kit to assemble before calls

  • 8-12 certified death certificates
  • Original signed will
  • Your government photo ID
  • Notebook for tracking each conversation
  • List of accounts being addressed

Download a print-ready PDF

Download the Bank, Credit Card and Investment Notification checklist PDF →

Want a checklist customized for your situation?

This is the standard version listing every major Canadian institution. It's Simple Will customers get a personalized version showing only the institutions where the deceased actually had accounts — pre-filled with account numbers, branch information, and the estate-services phone number for each. No more guessing whether they used National Bank or Desjardins; the list shows exactly what to call and what reference numbers to provide.

Learn more about It's Simple Will →

Citations & sources

  1. [1]Canada.ca — What to do when someone dies: Estates and wills — Government of Canada
  2. [2]Equifax Canada — Credit-related steps to take after the death of a relative — Equifax Canada

Frequently asked questions

Do I notify all banks at once?

You can, though the priority order is — primary bank first (where the deceased did most of their banking), then any secondary banks, then credit unions, then any institution where they had small balances. The primary bank gets the funeral expense release if needed and is the most likely starting point for the estate account later.

How do I find institutions the deceased used?

Multiple sources — recent bank and credit card statements, tax returns (T-slip issuers), the Life Discovery Kit if one exists, credit reports from Equifax and TransUnion (after you notify them of the death), incoming mail at the deceased's address, online banking records if you have authorized access through a power of attorney that survives death (rare) or executor authority. Don't assume you know all of them.

What about institutions where the deceased had inactive accounts?

Inactive accounts still need to be addressed. Notify the institution; they will release any small balance per their normal process. Inactive accounts sometimes have substantial dormant balances that the family didn't know about. Worth the call.

What about US institutions?

Notify US institutions separately — Canadian death certificates may need additional steps for US institutions (apostille or US-specific notification process). US bank accounts may require US probate or use of small-estate procedures depending on size. Cross-border situations benefit from cross-border counsel.

What documentation does each institution want?

The core set is — certified death certificate (original, not photocopy), original or certified copy of the will, government-issued ID for the executor, the institution's specific estate forms (each has its own), an indemnity for small-balance release, or a sealed probate grant for larger amounts.

How long should this take?

Initial notifications — week 1-2. Small-balance releases — week 2-6. Probate grant — week 4-16 depending on province. Major asset transfers after probate — week 6-20. Total notification and consolidation arc — 3-6 months for moderate complexity. Insurance claims run in parallel and typically pay within 30 days of complete documentation.

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