A survivorship account is a type of joint account — specifically, an account where ownership automatically transfers to the surviving co-owners upon death.
On the other hand, a joint account, broadly speaking, may either be:
- Joint tenancy with the right of survivorship (probate is bypassed), or
- Tenancy in common (no automatic transfer; probate is required).
So, not all joint accounts are survivorship accounts, but all survivorship accounts are joint accounts.
