An estate account is a bank account opened in the name of a deceased person's estate. The personal representative uses it to collect the estate's money, pay valid debts and expenses, and eventually distribute what remains to the heirs. Banks require it because a deceased person's own accounts freeze at death.
Opening one is not just paperwork at the branch. The bank will ask for the court-issued letters proving the representative's authority, a certified death certificate, and a tax identification number for the estate - the estate is its own taxpayer during administration.
Families settling an estate through a funded living trust usually skip all of this: the successor trustee already controls the trust's accounts, and nothing needs a court's letters to move.
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Educational information only, not legal advice. Terms have statutory details beyond these summaries - confirm your situation with a licensed professional.