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Prepare the letter of instruction Redwood CU 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 Redwood CU's estate/claims department: Redwood Credit Union, Attn: Account Services, PO Box 6104, Santa Rosa, CA 95406. You can reach the department at 707-545-4000.
Redwood CU's recorded process does not require the letter itself to be notarized. Some enclosed documents (such as a small estate affidavit) may still need notarization.
Redwood CU lists these among its required documents: Certified copy of the final death certificate (returned after verification); Government-issued photo ID for beneficiary, joint owner, or personal representative; Signed letter of instructions from beneficiary(ies) with their contact information (birthdate, SSN, mailing address, phone, email); Beneficiary Payment Election form (provided by RCU after notification). The prepared letter includes an enclosure checklist drawn from Redwood CU's recorded requirements.
POD and joint accounts processed upon verification of death certificate and identification. IRA beneficiary letters from Ascensus arrive approximately 2-3 weeks after beneficiary information is submitted. Estate accounts depend on probate court timelines.
Redwood CU accepts a letter you write. We draft it for you, addressed to Redwood 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.
