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Prepare the letter of instruction Merrill requests during estate or death-claim processing — addressed to its verified claims department with the required enclosures. PDF.
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Which institution holds the account, and the capacity you are writing in.
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Send it to Merrill's estate/claims department: Merrill Document Processing, PO Box 31024, Tampa, FL 33631-3024. You can reach the department at 1-855-450-9015.
Yes — Merrill requires the mailed letter of instruction to be notarized. The prepared letter includes a signature block; have it notarized before sending.
Merrill lists these among its required documents: Death certificate (legible photocopy accepted initially; certified copy may be required); Affidavit of Domicile (always required; date of death must match death certificate); Government-issued ID for claimant; Individual accounts: probate documents (if applicable), distribution documents, tax waiver. The prepared letter includes an enclosure checklist drawn from Merrill's recorded requirements.
Varies by account type and documentation completeness. Probate generally takes at least six months to one year for complex estates. Asset transfer typically completes shortly after all documentation is received in good order.
Merrill 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.
