Your will handles the legal transfer of assets. But your family needs much more than that in the first days and weeks after your death: where are your accounts? What are your funeral wishes? Who should be called? Where are the important documents? A letter of instruction fills this gap — and is often more immediately useful than any legal document you've prepared.
What a Letter of Instruction Is
A letter of instruction (also called a letter of last instruction or personal instruction letter) is an informal document you prepare for your family that provides practical guidance for handling your affairs after death. Unlike a will:
- It's not legally binding
- It doesn't require witnesses, notarization, or an attorney
- It doesn't go through probate or become public
- It can be written conversationally
- It can be updated at any time without legal formalities
Its value is practical: it gives your family the information they need to handle your affairs without confusion, without searching, and without guessing at your wishes.
What to Include
1. Personal information and important contacts
- Your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number
- Location of your birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate, and other vital documents
- Your attorney's name and contact information
- Your accountant or financial advisor's name and contact
- Your insurance agent's name and contact
- Your employer (if relevant) and HR contact
2. Financial accounts
For each account: institution name, account type, approximate value, account number, and location of statements or access information. Include:
- Checking and savings accounts
- Investment and brokerage accounts
- Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension)
- Life insurance policies (company, policy number, death benefit amount)
- Annuities
- HSA/FSA accounts
- Safe deposit boxes (location, key location, contents)
3. Real estate and property
- Location of property deeds
- Mortgage company and account number
- Property tax information
- Rental properties (tenants, managers, lease terms)
- Vehicles (titles location, any financing)
4. Digital accounts and passwords
- Email accounts
- Social media accounts and what you'd like done with them
- Online financial accounts
- Subscription services to cancel
- Password manager location and master password (or PIN for your phone)
- Location of any physical password lists
5. Funeral and burial wishes
Your will is often not found and read until after funeral arrangements are made — which is why your letter of instruction is the right place for funeral wishes. Include:
- Burial or cremation preference
- Preferred funeral home (if you have one)
- Whether you've made pre-arrangements with a funeral home
- Service preferences (religious/non-religious, music, readings, location)
- Preferences about organ donation
- Who should be notified of your death
- Obituary preferences (what to include, what to omit)
6. Personal bequests and wishes
Note: personal property bequests may need to be in your will to be legally effective, depending on your state. But the letter of instruction is a good place to record your intentions, particularly for sentimental items: "I would like my mother's ring to go to [name]," "The blue painting in the living room was bought by Dad and should go to [name]."
7. Personal messages
Some people use the letter of instruction to include personal notes — a message to their spouse, a word to their children, expressions of love and gratitude that aren't appropriate in a legal document. This is optional but often deeply meaningful.
How to Store and Share It
The letter of instruction is only useful if your family can find it. Options:
- In a fireproof safe at home (tell your executor where the combination is)
- With your attorney
- With your executor directly
- In a digital legacy platform like FinalKeepSake, which is designed to securely store exactly this kind of information and share it with trusted people when the time comes
Don't leave it in a location that's inaccessible — like a safe deposit box that requires court authorization to open after death in some states.
How Often to Update It
Review and update your letter of instruction annually and after any major life event: a new account, a move, a change in wishes, a new contact. Because it's informal, updates require no special process — just revise and date the new version.