‘They cut off online access’: My mother’s bank balance plummeted after her death. What’s going on?

retained text

The Moneyist
‘They cut off online access’: My mother’s bank balance plummeted after her death. What’s going on?
‘Since her death, her bank balance fell to $9,000 from $16,000’
Dear Quentin,
My mother passed away recently and I am her only heir. She had a checking account at a major bank. They made me wait 45 days after her date of death before getting the proceeds. Since her death, her bank balance fell to $9,000 from $16,000.
They cut off online access and her statements were electronic, so I have no way of knowing what those transactions were. They won’t give me any info about the account, no statement, etc. Do I have any recourse?

document fetched 2026-07-16 08:05 · canonical https://marketwatch.com/story/they-cut-off-online-access-my-mothers-bank-balance-plummeted-after-her-death-whats-going-on-8e8f3aa2?mod=mw_rss_topstories