A. Pending the settlement of any estate on the petition of the personal representative or any heir, legatee or devisee of the decedent, the court may order any money in the hands of the personal representative to be invested for the benefit of the estate, in United States Government obligations, in the form of securities of, or other interests in, any open-end or closed-end management type investment company or investment trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940;¹ provided, that the portfolio of such investment company or investment trust is limited to United States Government obligations and to repurchase agreements fully collateralized by such United States Government obligations, and provided further, that any such investment company or investment trust shall take delivery of such collateral, either directly or through an authorized custodian. Such order can only be made after such notice of the petition to the heirs, legatees, devisees, or personal representative as the court may direct.

B. Pending the settlement of any estate, the personal representative, unless expressly provided to the contrary in the will of the decedent, may invest estate funds in United States government obligations directly and in accounts fully insured by the United States government, without any order of the court.