It should be your bank’s goal to serve you. And that often includes offering you assistance with tasks like recalling your account number. But there are a lot of things that we cannot do for you as a result of security restrictions.
It is a heartbreaking experience to sit with a new widow (or widower) who has zero clue about their financial situation because their spouse handled everything. Suddenly they have lost their best friend, and they don’t even know how to financially take care of themselves.
We can give them direction on what steps to take, but we cannot always provide the access that they need.
Instead of having time to grieve, they are instantly burdened with stress.
It is understandable that one spouse manages the finances because they enjoy it or are naturally gifted at it. But I would strongly encourage that person to go a step further in serving their spouse by making sure that the financial information is organized and accessible.