Part of planning funerals at funeral homes in Bedford, OH may include what is communicated in letters of last instruction. Typically, when you create a will, a letter of last instruction is included with the will.
However, you can leave a letter of last instruction with the rest of your important papers as an overview of what your wishes and desires are after you die. Think of your letter of last instruction as a supplement to your will that will guide your family through administrating your estate and directing them to all your important personal information.
So, what is included in a letter of last instruction?
One of the things that you should include in a letter of last instruction is a list of personal contacts. These are the people who need to be notified when you die. You should include contact information for family members, friends, clergy members, work, and social acquaintances that you want to be notified of your death.
Another thing that should be included in your letter of last instruction is a list of business and financial contacts. This list should include insurance agents, financial advisors, attorneys, and accountants. This list should also include the location of your bank, information about your insurance policies, and a list of all your account and policy numbers.
A letter of last instruction should also tell your family where your legal documents are located. If you have them in a safe at home, be sure that you include access to the safe. If your legal documents are located in a safety deposit box at your bank, you need to go now with a family member or someone else that you trust and have them granted access to the safety deposit box (they will be given a key).
Legal documents include documents such as wills, social security cards, trust documents, veterans benefits files, birth certificates, deeds, marriage certificates, titles, contracts, divorce decrees, mortgage papers, etc.
We all have a bigger digital footprint than we think we have. Your letter of last instruction should include all of your online usernames and passwords. Remember to include email accounts, social media accounts, bank and financial accounts, credit card accounts, shopping accounts, and the account to log onto your computer.
With this information, whoever is administrating your estate can close accounts, use accounts, and protect accounts to ensure that there is no theft of your identity after your death.
Your letter of last instruction should also detail any outstanding debts that you owe or that is owed to you. Be sure to include detailed information, including loan account numbers, credit card numbers, collateral, privately held notes, and terms of payment for the debts you owe and for any debts that are owed to you.
Another thing that you need to include in a letter of last instruction is a list of beneficiaries of your estate. For this list, you’ll need to list the names and contact information (include email addresses and cell phone numbers) for all your beneficiaries. You can also provide specific bequests for things that you want to give to certain beneficiaries because they have sentimental value to them.
Don’t forget your pets. Your letter of last instruction should provide information about how to take care of any pets who survive you. You should also designate who should take care of your pets and whether their care will be paid for by you.
The final item in your letter of last instruction should be detailed information about the kind of funeral you want and any service that you may want after your death.
If you’d like to learn more about letters of last instruction at funeral homes in Bedford, OH, our compassionate and experienced team at E. F. Boyd & Son Funeral Home is here to help.