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Prepare the letter of instruction EquiTrust requests during estate or death-claim processing — addressed to its verified claims department with the required enclosures. PDF.
Step 1 of 5
The EquiTrust life policies being claimed and the person who passed away.
List every life policy number for which you are claiming death benefits.
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Send it to EquiTrust's estate/claims department: EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, P.O. Box 14500, Des Moines, IA 50306-3500. You can reach the department at 1-866-598-3692.
Yes — EquiTrust requires the mailed letter of instruction to be notarized. The prepared letter includes a signature block; have it notarized before sending.
EquiTrust lists these among its required documents: Completed claim form (Deferred Annuity Claim Form for annuities or Life Insurance Claim Form ETL-CLAIM-2700 for life insurance); One certified copy of the death certificate listing the cause of death; U.S. Consular Report of Death (if death occurred outside the United States); Government-issued identification for the beneficiary or claimant. The prepared letter includes an enclosure checklist drawn from EquiTrust's recorded requirements.
Death benefits are paid upon receipt of Due Proof of Death. Interest accrues from the date of death at the rate applicable to the contract. Additional interest at 10% annually begins 31 calendar days after EquiTrust receives Due Proof of Death and sufficient information to determine liability, as required by law. Claims are typically processed within 30 to 60 days from receipt of all required documentation.
EquiTrust provides its own letter-of-instruction form. We complete that official form with your information; you print, sign, and send it.
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.
