How Do I Write a Letter of Instruction to Dow CU?

Send it to Dow CU's estate/claims department: Dow Credit Union, P.O. Box 1649, Midland, MI 48641-1649. You can reach the department at 989-835-7794.

Dow CU lists these among its required documents: Certified death certificate (original or certified copy); Government-issued photo ID for the claimant; Michigan Letters of Authority from the probate court (if the account passes through probate); Affidavit of Decedent's Successor under MCL 700.3983, available 28 days after death for a qualifying small estate. The prepared letter includes an enclosure checklist drawn from Dow CU's recorded requirements.

POD and joint accounts typically process within 5-10 business days after all documents are received. Trust accounts process once the successor trustee's authority is verified. Probate-dependent accounts wait on the Michigan probate court issuing Letters of Authority, or on the 28-day waiting period for an MCL 700.3983 affidavit.

Dow CU accepts a letter you write. We draft it for you, addressed to Dow CU's verified claims department with the required enclosures.

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.