© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc.
Prepare the letter of instruction Ascensus requests during estate or death-claim processing — addressed to its verified claims department with the required enclosures. PDF.
Step 1 of 5
Which institution holds the account, and the capacity you are writing in.
FREE & PRIVATE: This form is free—no account or credit card required. Your document contents and generated PDF never leave your browser—SimplyTrust does not transmit or store them. Contact details you provide (name, email, phone, state) are transmitted only to send the updates you agree to receive at download. You are responsible for saving your completed document.
SELF-HELP SERVICE: SimplyTrust provides a self-help document preparation service. We are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice, select forms for you, or tell you how to complete forms. Our role is limited to providing a platform where you input your own information into document templates.
NOT LEGAL ADVICE:This document was created entirely based on your selections. SimplyTrust does not review, analyze, or verify your entries, nor do we verify your identity, capacity, or authority to act. You are solely responsible for determining whether this document meets your needs and for completing all required execution formalities (signatures, witnesses, notarization, or recording) in accordance with your state's laws. For any legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Send it to Ascensus's estate/claims department: 200 Dryden Road, Suite 4000, Dresher, PA 19025. You can reach the department at 1-888-652-8086.
Ascensus lists these among its required documents: Certified copy of death certificate; Completed Beneficiary Distribution Election form (Form 465 for qualified plans); IRA Beneficiary Required Election form (Form 341 for deaths on/after 1/1/2020; Form 321 for prior deaths); Inherited IRA Payment Election form (Form 344-IH for deaths on/after 1/1/2020; Form 324-IH for prior deaths). The prepared letter includes an enclosure checklist drawn from Ascensus's recorded requirements.
Allow 5-10 business days for distribution processing after all documents are received. Email confirmation sent upon completion.
Ascensus provides its own letter-of-instruction/claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and an enclosure checklist to accompany that form.
It depends on the capacity you are acting in. An executor or administrator encloses Letters Testamentary (when there is a will) or Letters of Administration (when there is not); a successor trustee encloses a certificate of trust; a successor under a small estate encloses that state’s small estate affidavit. The prepared letter lists the proof-of-authority document for your role alongside the institution’s required documents.
A letter of instruction is the written request an institution asks for when settling a deceased customer’s account. It identifies the decedent and the account, states the capacity you are acting in, and tells the institution what to do with the account.
